French fries make a delicious snack any time of the day. If you enjoy eating fries, you may wonder if you can feed some to your chickens. After all, French fries are made from potatoes and potatoes are safe for chickens to eat.
So, can chickens eat french fries? Yes, chickens can eat French fries. However, it isn’t food that is ideal for them. French fries are usually cooked with oil and have salt added to them. Both of these are harmful to the chickens in large amounts.
Are French Fries Safe For Chickens?
French fries are safe for chickens to eat since it’s made from potatoes.
However, the fries are usually cooked in oil and have salt and other seasonings added to them. This makes them unsafe for the chickens to eat. Excessive oil can lead to digestive problems such as diarrhea and an upset stomach. As for salt, it can lead to high blood pressure.
Therefore, if you’re planning to feed them French fries, it’s best to bake the fries and serve them to the chickens without any salt or other seasonings.
Why It’s Unhealthy For Chickens To Eat French Fries?
French fries are not that healthy for chickens due to the way it’s cooked. French fries are usually fried in oil and then have salt added to them.
Below are some of the reasons why French fries are not a healthy food for chickens:
French Fries Are Fried In Oil
French fries are usually cooked in vegetable or corn oil. Chickens can’t digest the oil very well and will cause digestive issues.
Too much greasy food like French fries will cause them to have an upset stomach or diarrhea.
Also, if the French fries are fed to them regularly, it can increase the chance of the chickens developing cardiovascular diseases.
French Fries Have High-Fat Content
French fries contain trans fat, which is harmful to the chickens. Too many fats will cause build-up around the liver of the chicken. Since fats make the liver softer, chickens are prone to bleeding.
Hens that are laying eggs could bleed to death due to excessive fat in the liver. This condition in chickens is known as Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome, which will ultimately lead to the death of the hen.
Also, the fat from French fries can lead to obesity and develop heart problems.
French Fries Contain Salt
French fries are usually seasoned with salt. Too much salt is harmful to the chickens. It can lead to high blood pressure and other health issues for the chickens.
Can Baby Chickens Eat French Fries?
Baby chickens can eat French fries, but it’s best to wait until they are about 3 weeks old first. The chicks have a very fragile digestive system, which will make it difficult for them to process the fries. Since they can’t digest it, most likely the chicks will suffer from crop impaction.
Instead, chicks should be on a strict diet of quality starter feed. The feed has been formulated with the right amount of nutrition to keep the chicks healthy and strong.
Once they are about 3 weeks old, you can give them some fries. Make sure it doesn’t have any salt on them. Give them a small piece of the fry to eat.
Also, you’ll want to have grits available for the chicks to eat. They need grits to help break down the fries and any other solid food that they eat.
How Many French Fries Should You Feed Your Chickens?
When it comes to French fries, they should be served in small quantities. The fries don’t have all the nutrition that the chickens require.
Also, since fries are made from potatoes, it has a lot of carbohydrates. Feeding them too many fries will cause the chickens to become full quickly. This will cause them to stop eating their staple of chicken feed. If the chickens don’t eat enough of the feed, they will start to have health issues due to a lack of nutrition.
Therefore, for an adult chicken, a couple of pieces of French fries is adequate. As for baby chickens, one piece of fry for each one is enough for them to enjoy without affecting their health.
How Often Should You Feed French Fries To Your Chickens?
You should give French fries to your chickens in moderation. Fries are not very healthy and contain too many carbohydrates.
Also, fries should never be fed to them daily, since it isn’t one of their staple food. French fries should be given to them as a treat. It should only make up 10% of the chicken’s entire diet. The rest should come from a quality commercial feed. The feed is formulated with the proper amount of nutrition that the chickens need to remain healthy and strong.
Therefore, you should only serve French fries to your chickens, once or twice per month. There are plenty of other treats that you can feed them as well.
Conclusion
French fries are safe for chickens to eat, but make sure to not feed them too much of it. If possible, bake the fries to avoid having to use oil. Also, don’t add any salt to the fries that you are planning to feed your chickens with. As long as the fries are given to the chickens in moderation, they’ll enjoy eating them and the health of the chickens will not be affected.
