Mango is a tropical fruit that is abundant during the summer months. This fruit is known for its sweet flavor and tender flesh. It can be used for cooking or eaten raw. For humans, mango is safe to eat, but what about chickens? Can you feed them mango as well?
Yes, chickens can eat mango, but only when they are ripe. Unripe mangoes have no nutritional value, and it’s too tough for chickens to eat. It’s best to feed them ripe mangoes since it’s soft in texture and packed with nutrition. However, you’ll want to avoid feeding them too much of it as it may cause digestive issues due to the high water content.
Is It Healthy For Chickens To Eat Mango?
Mango is a fruit that has many health benefits for chickens. This tropical fruit is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. All of this nutrition is what chickens require on a daily basis to remain healthy.
As for fiber, chickens need plenty of it each day. Fiber is vital for a healthy digestive system. It helps bulk up the stool and prevent constipation. This will help food move through the digestive tract smoothly.
When it comes to vitamin C, this vitamin helps improve the immune system. Chickens that have a strong immune system will be less likely to become sick. During the spring and fall, when the temperature tends to fluctuate a lot, chickens are prone to becoming sick. Feeding them plenty of food high in vitamin C will help pwarevent an illness. If the chickens do become ill, extra vitamin C will help them recover quickly.
Another thing that mango has a lot of is water. This makes great food to feed them during the summer. Feeding them mango will help keep your chicken hydrated.
Can Baby Chickens Eat Mango?
Baby chickens can eat mango, but it’s not recommended to feed them at this age. Their digestive system has not developed enough to digest the fruit properly.
At this age, baby chickens should be on a diet of starter feeds.
However, once the chicks are at 3 weeks old, you can start to introduce mangoes to them. Give them a piece of mango that’s cut into a very small pieces.
Can Chickens Eat Mango Skin?
Yes, chickens can eat mango skin. The skin is a bit tough though. You’ll need to cut them into smaller pieces if you are planning to feed them the skin.
Since the skin is safe, some owners will cut the mango into slices with the skin attached. Then toss them to the chickens to feed on.
The chickens will peck at the flesh and eat it. Some will also peck at the skin and eat it as well. Other chickens will just leave the skin alone.
Can Chickens Eat Mango Seed?
Chickens cannot eat mango seeds. While it doesn’t have any toxins that could harm the chickens, it’s too tough and big for them. Most chickens will simply ignore the seed if you feed the whole mango to them.
How Do You Prepare Mango For Your Chickens
When preparing the mango for your chickens, always give them a good wash first. This will help remove any debris and pests from the fruit.
Also, be sure to only feed them ripe mangoes. When the fruit is ripe, it will be yellow and the flesh will be soft.
Unripe mangoes, also known as green mangoes will be too tough for the chickens to eat. Also, it could cause a choking hazard for them.
Once you’ve given the mangoes a wash, halve the fruit, or slice them into smaller pieces. You can leave the seed or remove it if you like. Then toss them to the chickens for them to enjoy this tasty sweet treat.
Another way you feed mangoes to the chicken is to mix them in with other fruits. Besides mangoes, you can add strawberries, watermelon, apricots, and apples to the mix. Cut each fruit into smaller pieces and mix it all together. Then place the mixed fruits in their feeders and the chickens will run up to start eating them. This is a great way to give your chickens a boost in nutrition.
How Many Mangoes Should You Feed Your Chickens?
When it comes to feeding mangoes to chickens, they should be fed in small quantities. Due to the sweet taste, the chicken may get addicted to it and want to eat only the mangoes.
For baby chickens, avoid giving them any mangoes. Once they are about 3 weeks old, you can try to feed them mangoes, but a very tiny piece of it though.
For adult chickens, a slice of mango should be enough for them to enjoy.
How Often Should You Feed Your Chickens Mango?
While mangoes are safe and have a lot of nutrition that the chicken can benefit from, it’s best to feed them in moderation. Mangoes have too much sugar in them, and this can lead to obesity and high blood pressure.
Like most other fruit, mango should only make up 10% of their entire diet. The rest should come from quality commercial feeds. These feeds have been formulated with the proper amount of nutrition to meet the chicken’s dietary requirements.
Therefore, you should feed mangoes to your chickens, once or twice per week.
Other Fruits That Chickens Can Eat
Kiwi
Kiwi is safe and nutritious for the chickens to eat, but they contain a lot of sugar. For that reason, feed them in moderation. Chickens can eat the flesh and seeds, but avoid giving them the skin. The skin is too tough and poses a choking hazard for them.
Pears
Pears are healthy and relatively low in sugar, so they make a great snack for chickens. When feeding them pears, remove the seeds first. It contains a toxin that is harmful to them.
Watermelon
Watermelon makes a great treat for chickens. It’s very healthy due to the amount of nutrition that it has. They can eat all parts of the watermelon, which includes the rind, flesh, and seeds. Feed watermelon to the chickens in moderation or they will get diarrhea.
Conclusion
Mangoes are nutritious and healthy for chickens to eat. However, due to the high water and sugar content, you will want to only feed them in moderation. Feeding the chickens too much of this fruit will cause them to have digestive issues.
