Chickens can enjoy small quantities of suitable kitchen scraps, but some foods are hazardous. Even safe treats can unbalance the diet when they replace too much complete feed.
Risk depends on the substance, dose, preparation, bird size and the chicken’s existing health.
Mouldy or Spoiled Food
Never deliberately feed mouldy or spoiled food.
Mould can produce mycotoxins capable of causing:
- Reduced appetite
- Poor growth
- Reduced laying
- Liver and kidney damage
- Immune suppression
- Neurological symptoms
- Death
Discard damp, musty, clumped, insect-damaged or visibly mouldy feed.
Do not rely on a toxin binder to make badly spoiled food safe.
Avocado
The skin, pit and leaves of avocado contain higher concentrations of persin than the flesh.
Because scraps can contain mixed portions and the safe dose is uncertain, the simplest household rule is not to offer avocado waste to chickens.
Chocolate and Caffeine
Keep the following away from chickens:
- Chocolate
- Cocoa powder
- Coffee grounds
- Caffeinated tea leaves
- Energy drinks
- Caffeinated soft drinks
Chocolate contains methylxanthines, including theobromine and caffeine, which can affect the nervous system and heart.
Raw or Undercooked Dried Beans
Some raw and undercooked dried beans contain harmful lectins.
Do not feed chickens raw dried beans or inadequately cooked beans. Properly cooked, plain beans may be given as a small treat, but they should not replace complete feed.
Green or Sprouted Potatoes
Avoid:
- Green potato peel
- Potato sprouts
- Potato leaves
- Green potato flesh
These portions may contain higher concentrations of glycoalkaloids.
Plain, properly cooked, non-green potato can be offered occasionally, but it provides little benefit compared with the flock’s complete ration.
Rhubarb Leaves
Rhubarb leaves contain oxalates and should not be fed to chickens.
Prevent access to discarded leaves and garden clippings. The simplest approach is to keep all rhubarb material out of the chicken run.
Salt
Chickens are sensitive to excessive salt, particularly when water access is limited.
Avoid giving large quantities of:
- Chips
- Salty sauces
- Processed meats
- Heavily seasoned leftovers
- Stock
- Salty takeaway food
Fresh water must always be available.
Apple Seeds and Stone-Fruit Kernels
Apple seeds and the kernels inside peach, plum and apricot stones contain cyanogenic compounds.
A chicken accidentally eating a few intact apple seeds is unlikely to be poisoned, but seeds and fruit kernels should not be deliberately collected and fed.
Remove large hard pits because they may also present a physical hazard.
Onion and Garlic
Onion and garlic are not automatically poisonous when a chicken consumes a tiny amount in mixed scraps.
However, large or repeated quantities are unnecessary and may affect red blood cells or change egg flavour. Keep concentrated onion and garlic waste out of the flock’s regular diet.
Dry Rice and Pasta
Dry rice does not expand inside a chicken and make it explode. This is a common myth.
Dry pasta and rice are nevertheless poor treats and can dilute a balanced ration. Cooked plain rice or pasta can be offered occasionally in small amounts.
Poisonous Garden Plants
Prevent chickens from accessing known poisonous plants and fresh garden clippings containing:
- Oleander
- Foxglove
- Yew
- Deadly nightshade
- Azaleas
- Rhododendrons
- Daffodil bulbs
- Rhubarb leaves
Identification matters. If you are uncertain about a plant, do not place it in the chicken run.
Fallen leaves and pruned material can remain hazardous.
Lawn Clippings
Chickens naturally eat short grass while ranging. However, piles of mower clippings can:
- Heat rapidly
- Become mouldy
- Ferment
- Form long fibrous tangles
- Hide poisonous plants or foreign objects
Do not dump piles of fresh mower clippings into the run.
Other Environmental Hazards
Remove:
- Treated or painted wood
- Lead-based paint flakes
- Rodent poison
- Pesticide containers
- Fertiliser
- String
- Rubber bands
- Plastic fragments
- Galvanised metal shavings
- Stagnant or contaminated water
Cane toads and other wildlife may also present a risk to Australian chickens.
Signs of Possible Poisoning
Signs vary according to the toxin but may include:
- Sudden weakness
- Collapse
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Loss of balance
- Paralysis
- Breathing difficulty
- Severe diarrhoea
- Regurgitation
- A blue or very pale comb
- Sudden reduction in laying
- Several chickens becoming ill together
What to Do if a Chicken Eats Something Dangerous
- Remove the flock from the suspected source.
- Save the food, plant, chemical packaging or a photograph for identification.
- Record what was consumed, the estimated amount and the time of exposure.
- Contact an avian or poultry veterinarian promptly.
- Isolate affected birds somewhere quiet and temperature-stable.
- Follow veterinary instructions.
Do not induce vomiting. Do not force milk, oil, water or internet home remedies into the bird because aspiration can cause further harm.