Can you feed chickens dried beans?

[tomato lady]

I have several 5 gallon buckets of either kidney beans or pinto beans. If I chop them into smaller size pieces can they be fed to chickens? Will the chickens like them? Will they swell in their crop and cause a problem? What if I soak them first? Cook them?

 

[Nemo]

The official list says, "Well-cooked only, never dry".

[EDIT] -- I had read somewhere about feeding chickens a diet of sprouts, and I think beans were in the mix somewhere. If I find it, I'll post again. Otherwise, I would stick with the well-cooked only.

 

[wildorchid053]

i think it lists no dried peas or beans, they contain a poison. type in chicken snacks on the search bar and it lists yes and no treats for you

 

[RedStarDaddy]

Cook them. They contain phytohaemagglutinin, and cooking will degrade it to non-problematic levels.

RSD

 

[tomato lady]

Thanks for your prompt replies. I guess it is a no go unless I cook them. Just what I needed to know.

 

[patandchickens]

Yes. A small amount dry won't kill them (tho it may give them a bellyache) but since it is hard to know where "a small amount" stops and "too much" starts, cook or sprout them first.

Red kidney beans especially, as they have some of the highest amounts of toxins and antinutritional factors of all beans. (Children have been poisoned by eating just like a dozen or so dried kidney beans - odd but true)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[tomato lady]

When my grandson was young he was rushed to the hospital from preschool because of kidney beans. He stuffed them up his nose and the teacher thought he was having an asthsma attack.

 

[canada-goose]

That's funny!

 

[MichelleT]

So glad this post is here... I soaked too many beans last night (I'm filling two crockpots and still have too many) and was wondering if I could feed them to my girlfriends. I'll be filling a third pot and cooking them on the stove now... Yikes how those things do swell up!

 

[lazy gardener]

I would not feed uncooked dry beans to chickens, even after soaking. Some uncooked beans can be toxic. Kidney beans for one. There may be others.