It is not always easy to decide what to feed your backyard chicken flocks. The chickens have a sensitive digestive system that will cause any infectious condition soon. As a result of that, you have to be a little more careful about their meals.
No matter what, you may love to add diversity to their meals. So, have you ever thought that kiwi would be a great choice for it?
Can Chickens Eat Kiwi Fruit?
Luckily, chickens can eat kiwi fruit. As kiwis are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, consuming them causes numerous health benefits for your chickens. Therefore, you can add kiwi fruits to the next meal of your chickens.
Make sure you choose ripened kiwis as chickens can peck at them. Also, matured kiwis are easily digestible and safe in every way. However, some chickens have personal preferences to avoid the taste. Do not worry about that because that is how it is!
Are There Any Risks Associated With Chickens Eating Kiwi?
Yes, there are risks associated with chickens eating kiwi fruit.
Kiwi fruits contain an enzyme called actinidain, which is a proteolytic enzyme that breaks down the proteins in the bird’s stomach and intestines.
If your chicken eats too many kiwi fruits, the intestinal lining can become damaged and allow bacteria to enter your chicken’s body. This can cause infection or even death if left untreated.
To prevent any health issues from arising, it’s best to avoid feeding your flock large amounts of this fruit.
Can Chickens Eat Kiwi Skin and Seeds?
Yes, chickens can eat both skin and seeds of kiwi fruit. Simply, they can eat the whole fruit.
However, the kiwi skin is quite hard for them to eat alone. As the kiwi peel even contains essential nutrients, it is recommended to chop the peel a little or slice it into small pieces. Therefore, the chickens can gobble them quickly which even helps in the fast digestion process.
There is no evidence to say kiwi seeds are bad for them. Even we consume kiwi seeds, so seeds are certainly good for chickens as well. The kiwi seeds contain vitamins C, K, and E which are required for your chickens’ health.
Benefits of Kiwi For Chickens
Kiwi contains an abundance of nutrition that the chickens can benefit from. This fruit has a good amount of vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and an immune booster. It also contains plenty of other vitamins and minerals.
Below are some of the health benefits of feeding kiwi fruit to your chicken:
Boost Immunity
Kiwi fruit contains vitamin C which stimulates the body’s immune response. The chickens are stressed animals and need to reduce oxidative stress. Roughly a kiwi fruit contains 230% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C. Therefore, providing your chickens some pieces of kiwis would result in boosting their immunity.
Rich in Antioxidants
The Kiwis are also rich in antioxidants. The antioxidants are essential to fight against cancer cells and other serious heart diseases. It helps to reduce the damage caused by oxidation. Therefore, adding some slices of kiwis to the meals of your chicken would prevent them from subjecting to diseases to a certain extent.
Contains Dietary Fiber
The dietary fiber in kiwi fruit helps to maintain good bowel health. As chickens have a sensitive digestive system, they can be going through stomach pain at any time. The kiwis prevent your chicken from such pains.
Also, dietary fiber is an essential component of a balanced diet. Therefore, providing some slices of kiwis would increase the nutrients of your chickens.
Can Baby Chickens Eat Kiwi?
Baby chickens can eat kiwi, but they shouldn’t be given too much of it. In fact, giving too much kiwi to your baby chickens can lead to diarrhea and other digestive problems.
If you do decide to feed your baby chicks some kiwi, use it sparingly so that none of them gets diarrhea or other digestive issues from eating too much of it.
If you have a batch of healthy chicks that are growing well, you can give them 1 or 2 small pieces each week as treats or snacks.
How to Feed Kiwi To Chickens
It is important to provide the right amount of kiwis to your chickens. Feeding them in the wrong way can affect the quality of the benefits that they can acquire. So, now let see how to feed kiwis to your chickens.
Feed The Chickens The Whole Kiwi Fruit
The first method is to give them the whole kiwi fruit. It is fun to watch the chickens battle to peck at it because it takes several efforts to taste the flesh inside. However, your chickens can play and exercise a little unintentionally when they are given the whole kiwi fruit.
If you are giving them the whole fruit, make sure you wash it thoroughly. It prevents them from getting diseases.
Cut The Fruit Into Portions
You can make their lives a little easier by giving them pieces that are already cut. Having said that, I would recommend you wash the fruit and make sure there is no dust, bacteria, or anything harmful. If the fruits are store-bought, it is always better to peel off the outer skin. Sometimes, they contain chemicals and pesticides.
After all of that, decide how you want to cut the fruit. Normally, I cut it into halves. If you have more than 6 chickens, cut them into many pieces so that everyone has a portion. The baby chickens cannot eat a half either. You can encourage them to eat by providing small pieces of kiwis.
However, some chickens do not love to eat kiwis at all. You can test their reaction by giving a smaller piece first. It will also reduce the waste of kiwis.
Can I Mix Kiwis with Other Fruits?
There is no harm in mixing kiwis with other fruits and vegetables. It would bring diversity to the meal of your chickens. The chickens love to eat different tastes rather than one at a time. Therefore, mixing kiwis with other fruits is a great idea. It is beneficial in terms of nutritional value too.
How Often Can Chickens Eat Kiwi?
Kiwi fruit is rich in vitamin C and other nutrients, but it’s also high in sugar and acidity. Chickens can eat kiwis as a treat or part of their regular diet, but they should only eat them occasionally.
Feed each chicken just a halves of the kiwi once or twice per week is enough for them to enjoy without causing harm to their health.
Other Fruits That Chickens Can Eat
Blueberries
Blueberries are full of nutrition, and it’s one of the chicken’s favorite treats. If you’re planning to feed them blueberries, be aware that their poop will turn blue!
Cherries
Cherries make a great summertime treat for chickens. This fruit is full of vitamins – A, C, E, and K. It also contains choline which is essential for the health of the chickens. Cherries can be fed to them fresh or cooked.
Watermelon
Watermelon is packed with vitamins and minerals. It’s also a good source of antioxidants, fiber, and amino acids. All of these are great for the chicken’s health. While it’s high in nutrition, watermelon also has a lot of water. Too much can cause them to have diarrhea.
Conclusion
The kiwis are safe and healthy for chickens. Also, kiwis provide essential nutrients to your chickens while being easy to digest. It also contributes to maintaining the body hydration of chickens. So, kiwis are a good choice for hot summer days too.
However, kiwis are high in sugar, and it is best to be careful about the serving size. My advice is to give kiwis once or twice a week to your chickens. Also, make sure you wash the kiwis properly, and that they do not contain any harmful chemicals.
