Yes, chickens can eat strawberries including their leaves and plants. In fact, strawberries are a good source of vitamin c, antioxidants and fiber which helps to keep your chickens healthy. And their bright color and sweet flavor makes chickens run to gobble them up.
But, before you let your chickens run loose in your strawberry patch, you need to know how to feed them strawberries, how much they can eat and a few other important tips.
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Are Strawberries Safe for Chickens?
Fortunately, for you and your feathered friends, it is perfectly safe for chickens to eat strawberries. There are a few caveats, but, if you toss some their way, they will probably not have any negative impact.
In fact, chickens can eat blueberries, chickens can eat blackberries and chickens can eat raspberries, too. Most berries are safe and healthy for them to eat.
It is important not to overfeed strawberries to your chickens as it can cause their diet to be thrown off. But, this is true of any treats you decide to give your chickens.
Can Chickens Eat Strawberry Leaves?
Yes, chickens can eat strawberry leaves, stems, roots - they can eat the entire plant. This is not true when feeding chickens mango, feeding chickens peaches, and feeding chickens tomatoes, because only the fruit is safe for them to eat.
Chickens can eat any part of the strawberry and they will be fine. However, if you are feeding them conventional/store bought strawberries, be wary of feeding them the calyx or top.
This part of the strawberry can hold onto any pesticides that were used while it was growing. If the chickens ingest this it can make them sick. If you are growing your own strawberries or buying pesticide free, organic strawberries, you don't need to worry about this.
How To Feed Your Chickens Strawberries
- Wash the strawberries.
- Toss them out to your chickens or offer them in a feed dish.
- Freeze strawberries and help your chickens cool down on a hot summer day
- Avoid feeding them the calyx/top if store-bought as it will sometimes have residue from pesticides (ignore if organic/pesticide free)
- Only offer a few strawberries per chicken to ensure they don't overeat.
Need some help keeping your chickens health and care taken care of? Check out the Organized Chicken Keeper for an easy to follow system.
Benefits of Strawberries
Strawberries are a healthy snack full of lots of vitamins and minerals such as fiber, antioxidants and a huge amount of vitamin c. This tends to be the case with a lot of fruits.
Chickens can eat grapes, chickens can eat cherries and chickens can eat apples just to name a few other fruits that they enjoy.
- Fiber - improves GI absorption, overall growth and more. This nutrient is also present when feeding chickens figs.
- Vitamin C - this helps with a wide range of things such as immune system, anti-inflammation and heat stress reduction. Chickens can eat peaches if they need more vitamin C.
- Antioxidants - these help with a wide range of things as well from reducing oxidative stress to helping cellular repair.
Feeding Chickens Strawberries FAQs
No, do not let chickens eat moldy strawberries or rotten food in general.
No, chickens cannot eat strawberry jam or jelly. Both are meant to be sweet and have too much sugar to be safe for chickens to eat.
If you need more help with taking care of your chickens, check out The Organized Chicken Keeper for a complete system for managing their health through keeping their supplies stocked and coop clean.
