Coffee grounds!

[Maze]

Are my chickens smart enough to avoid coffee grounds my dad puts in the bedding for my mums plants? Or are they dumb. thanks!!

 

[Maze]

Also if not where should I put the coffees beans? I assume not in the compost bin as I give my chickens the worms

 

[speckledhen]

Chickens would not know what coffee grounds are so they're not dumb, but they do tend to test taste things they find where they eat. Chickens are actually quite intelligent, but it's the same with anything that is not one of their natural foods like finding cigarette butts on the ground and picking at those (anyone like a handyman doing that gets read the riot act by me). Mine do not have access to my garden beds where I use them and I wouldn't really allow them to do that, especially caffeinated coffee. JMHO. Others may have a different opinion.

 

[Penpal]

Some people use coffee grounds for the coop bedding. I imagine it must be safe and not normally eaten after the first taste.

 

[FrostRanger]

Chickens are usually pretty good at avoiding eating anything toxic. I don't imagine they'd eat the grounds beyond perhaps a small taste test if that

 

[speckledhen]

Chickens are usually pretty good at avoiding eating anything toxic. I don't imagine they'd eat the grounds beyond perhaps a small taste test if that

It's kind of what I said, that they'd taste test it, but I've seen some eat things known to be toxic like mistletoe after the first taste. To me, better safe than sorry. I've never heard of anyone using coffee grounds as bedding as someone mentioned. How on earth could anyone gather that many coffee grounds in the first place in an amount to fill a coop? And why would they in the second place? That stuff stains. Doesn't seem prudent. Seems anyone can get some sort of safe, absorbent bedding for their chickens.

Adding: Apparently some company makes bedding from coffee grounds. It's $20 for 35 lbs, no idea if it expands at all. That's twice as much as shavings at $10/bag that expands to 10 cu ft. No idea why these oddball ideas always pop up, no offense intended. Seems bizarre to me and a lot more pricey than regular beddings. I've certainly ever heard of a breeder doing it. Bedding has to be absorbent and non-toxic. Maybe it works fine, but I'll stick with dried pine shavings because I have a 20 x 24 barn to fill. And the aromatic nature could be dangerous for chicks since chickens are very sensitive to aromatic bedding. I live in the south, no one sells anything like that here in the N. GA mountains that I've seen. The weird things I learn... BUT that was not the original poster's question so carry on, sorry for the interruption.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I throw coffee grounds into the compost pile I have in my chicken run. Never had any issues.

 

[Maze]

I throw coffee grounds into the compost pile I have in my chicken run. Never had any issues.

Thanks!!

 

[Maze]

M

Chickens would not know what coffee grounds are so they're not dumb, but they do tend to test taste things they find where they eat. Chickens are actually quite intelligent, but it's the same with anything that is not one of their natural foods like finding cigarette butts on the ground and picking at those (anyone like a handyman doing that gets read the riot act by me). Mine do not have access to my garden beds where I use them and I wouldn't really allow them to do that, especially caffeinated coffee. JMHO. Others may have a different opinion.

Mine free range.
The one I'm worried about I think is below average IQ (joking she's my baby )
ILl probably just put it in a seperate bin.

 

[Maze]

Chickens are usually pretty good at avoiding eating anything toxic. I don't imagine they'd eat the grounds beyond perhaps a small taste test if that

Ah ok