Feeding your chickens apples

[Micky B]

My flock just love their greens, especially apples and spinash. When they see us coming from the vegetable garden they start running like crazy, ha-ha. My husband usually feed them apples after they have gone soft and floury, quartered. They seem to be able to eat that just fine; it dissappears soon after it hits the ground.

 

[love_my_hens]

I read years ago that when hens get fat, they usually stop laying. From the one I have "processed", the ones not laying were indeed very fat in the rear. For that reason, I don't feed a lot of sweet treats.

 

[write2caroline]

Someone on the fermented feed tab mentions that they let the chickens have the fallen apples even if they are brown and slightly fermenting. It is good for the chickens.
Caroline

 

[Kelliekevin]

Hi there

Ok so there is poison in apple seeds called cyanide, but it's harmless as there is such a small amount in the seeds that it will not affect you or your chickens. In fact the cyanide fights cancer. Do some research if your interested, goggle vitamin B17 or nitrilosides and you will find how all seeds have cancer fighting agents in them. Apricot being the best as they have the highest concentrated level of nitrilosides, there is a seed in side the big pit that you can eat! Very interesting stuff!

 

[CluckinghamPal]

see I find this funny - cos we have an apple tree and we tried giving them to our chooks and they just turned up their noses.

Same with cabbage, spinach, silver beet strawberries and pumpkin!! fussy little buggers they are!

 

[DaveTaunton]

Mine did that with broccoli, like little kids!

 

[Joan71]

Yeah apples are good for them and all that. I think the chances of the seeds poisoning them are similar to humans. I.e if you ate a cup full of them haha. I just don't know whether to give mine these ones as they aren't fully ripe yet?

Dave. There is a list of foods you can give your birds on BYC. They suggest that the seeds be removed before giving the apples to the chicks. I give my hens apples about 3 times a week, I cut them in fourths, remove the seeds and they love their treats. My hens only free range a short time each day, so I try to be sure the foods I put in their pen is safe for them.

 

[DaveTaunton]

Yeah I've started chopping them in fours now after halving them just made them flip it over, and I deseed them

 

[lovechickenswis]

We feed our birds almost all of our leftovers and scraps, unless it has onions, garlic or chicken in it. They can eat chicken, but I just can't do it. The onions and garlic they also can eat, but I am told that it might make the eggs taste funny. We also have grown extra produce in the garden just for the chickens.

 

[DaveTaunton]

Extra produce just for them? That's something I'd definitely want to try!