Acorns. Safe or Toxic?

[4 Georgia Hens]

I have seen ALOT of mixed views about acorns. I found a website that suggests collecting acorns in fall, and feeding them to your chickens during the winter months. I have seen a few other web pages advising the same thing. But, later I found a list of toxic OUTDOOR items for you chickens, and acorns were no. 1 on that list! I've seen acorns on more "Harmful for Chickens" lists. This is VERY confusing! Does anyone know FOR SURE if acorns are safe or toxic? Thanks in advance!

 

[Chickassan]

Acorns are weird,technically they are edible but for us to eat them they have to be prepared. They've got a coating that will give you terrible cramps and the runs. Deer eat them no problems,so do squirrels and birds. I don't see why chickens couldn't. Iv'e never seen them eat one though,maybe because that coating is bitter?

 

[lazy gardener]

Acorns are very high in tannic acid. They need to be prepared, and the native Americans did so IIRC by placing them in a basket in the river to let the running water leach the tannins out of them. Acorns can be ground into a flour. So short answer maybe not. Other literature says that a poultry diet high in acorns = unappetizing dark green yolk color. Long answer: with prep, probably so.

 

[Gray Farms]

Better safe than sorry. . . I wouldn't feed the to chickens.

 

[Windus]

My pigs, literally, pig out on them. When they start dropping from the trees in the fall that is all they eat, they ignore their feed and only want to eat the acorns. Never seen any ill effects. There are acorns all over the place here but I have never seen the chickens eat them.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

Thanks everyone! I agree with @Gray Farms. I won't give them any!

 

[The Moonshiner]

We have three trees here and our pigs and goats love them. Been eating them for years with no issues.
I haven't ever seen any of the poultry show any interest in them so I don't think ours would eat them even if we wanted them to.

 

[venymae]

We shelled a bunch one year and fed them to our chooks, replacing about 10% of their feed. They were not crazy for them, but did eat them to no ill affect. Too much work for me though!

 

[ChicketySplit]

'Tis the season for acorns! I have an oak tree over the chicken yard, and they love it when I crack 'em open for the chooks to get a delicious treat, and none have keeled over yet! BUT, that is how I view this manna from heaven - as a treat. After seeing my dog munch on these acorns (She loves anything g tree-based: sticks, bark, and apparently acorns too!), I read up on these oak nuts, and discovered that some are less tannic than others. So what did I do? I opened one up and tasted it.

Surprisingly, it was not as tannic & mouth-puckering as expected! Did the same thing this year before testing the acorns on my chickens.....Maybe I have more mellow oaks here in N.W. Arkansas?

There is a great book by Euell Gibbons (sp?) named "Stalking the Wild Asparagus", where he expounds on the virtues of, and processing acorns. Even though it is an old book, maybe 1950's or 60's, it does have a more modern method of removing much of the tannins if needed. Seems like he talked about the old N. American Indian ways of removing the tannins too. Instead of leaching them in a stream, he would boil his, pour off the tannic water, then maybe boil again, then dry. I also recall that he did the "taste test" which let him know how much (or little) tannins we're in the nuts, thus, how many times (if any) he would have to process them. Dang, now I'll have to find that book.

Anyhoo, I checked the protein to carb ratio & these are high enough in protein to give my birds in case my feed supply is interrupted. For now, it's a treat. So I have been smashing acorns for them, and they LOVE it, with no adverse effects.

I have seen ALOT of mixed views about acorns. I found a website that suggests collecting acorns in fall, and feeding them to your chickens during the winter months. I have seen a few other web pages advising the same thing. But, later I found a list of toxic OUTDOOR items for you chickens, and acorns were no. 1 on that list! I've seen acorns on more "Harmful for Chickens" lists. This is VERY confusing! Does anyone know FOR SURE if acorns are safe or toxic? Thanks in advance!

 

[venymae]

There is a great book by Euell Gibbons (sp?) named "Stalking the Wild Asparagus", where he expounds on the virtues of, and processing acorns. Even though it is an old book, maybe 1950's or 60's, it does have a more modern method of removing much of the tannins if needed..... been smashing acorns for them, and they LOVE it, with no adverse effects.

I love that books! green cover? I wish my chooks liked the Acorns! Picky pampered birds!