Feeding chickens spicy stuff

[brukkala]

Does anyone here ever feed their chickens spicy food? Or what about chiles or just bell peppers? Just wondering if they like spicy stuff and whether it's safe for them.

 

[donrae]

I don't think they really taste the spice. There are lots of threads on feeding cayenne to boost egg laying, and there was a thread somewhere recently about chickens not having the same heat receptors orally that humans do. I feed my birds bell peppers and Anaheim chilies all the time. I personally don't do the hot hot stuff, so don't have any to feed my birds.

 

[brukkala]

Okay. I sometimes get too many chiles for stuff I'm cooking and just wondered whether my girls would like some as a treat. Now to see whether they'll eat them I just found out they love pork. Lol.

 

[donrae]

I tossed half a dozen bell peppers in the run yesterday. went out today and they've all vanished!

 

[brukkala]

So maybe my girls will eat the hot peppers up, seeds and all. Maybe they'll be spicy themselves and lay spicy eggs, lol

 

[aart]

Some folks swear by hot pepper as a dewormer and/or preventative, not sure I buy that concept.
I've read that hot pepper in grain storage deters rodents.
Hot pepper is lauded to solve lots of problems...not sure any of it is viable....but it does suggest that chickens can eat hot pepper with no detrimental effects.

 

[centrarchid]

Some folks swear by hot pepper as a dewormer and/or preventative, not sure I buy that concept.
I've read that hot pepper in grain storage deters rodents.
Hot pepper is lauded to solve lots of problems...not sure any of it is viable....but it does suggest that chickens can eat hot pepper with no detrimental effects.

A few years ago I made fish feed for largemouth bass that carried worms vary similar to what we see in chickens. The feed was 10% cayenne pepper based on dry weight. The bass, just like chickens, have no problems consuming such and consumed just as much of that as they did the control diet. I did not see any impact on the worms harbored by the bass, More peppers might be effective but that must be demonstrated to be fact which I have not seen yet.