I am cleaning out my freezer and I have some peas and lima beans and was just wondering if I can give them to my chickens? It is very HOT today and thought that they might like them. Are peas and lima beans ok?
I'd do it! They'll love em, and I can't think of a reason why even if they were still frozen any of that would hurt them. they love all that stuff thawed, and if it's that hot, they won't stay frozen very long!
Peas-no problem. Not sure about the lima beans. I would cook them first. "Raw lima beans and butter beans contain linamarin, a cyanogenic glucoside. The beans are rendered safe when cooked. Low-linamarin varieties are typically used for culinary purposes. It is possible for one handful of raw beans to make a person violently ill."
I have read the same thing in re to lima beans, at least pertaining to human consumption. The consensus is to never eat them raw. ...JP
I didn't know that about Lima beans! I checked on the internet and it said that when the processor freezes them they have to cook them first so they aren't raw. Don't think I want to chance it though!!
If you are throwing the lima beans away anyway, might as well make a cool 'pillow' for your chickens. Just lay them out on the ground in the unopened bag and let the chickens sit and lay by them to cool off. I use frozen water in soda bottles for mine to cool off. The sack of beans might not stay cold as long, but I bet they'd really enjoy em while they were....
