Is it OK to put Coffee Grounds in the chicken run

[wendy2012]

I just threw some in the run and they weren't even curious to peck at it lol

 

[reddogmaster2]

I don't think coffee grounds would hurt the chickens but you should probably ask a barista at a Strawbucks for expert advice.

Just kidding about the barista!

My chickens eat Habanero Peppers and don't seem to be bothered by the capcacin/heat in the peppers so I doubt coffee grounds would hurt if they ate a few. Heck, chickens eat pebbles so I really wouldn't worry about it.

And as others have mentioned, coffee grounds are great for the compost pile or directly in the garden.

 

[Saum Creek]

My compost bin is totally in my chicken run. They love eating all the nonsense I throw out there -- and they leave what they don't like. I don't put out any meat or avocados and my bread scraps go straight out instead of sitting in a compost bin to get moldy. They also don't get anything I wouldn't give my dog.

 

[Mr Dingus]

It's not recommended to give your chickens coffee grounds. It stunts the growth of the young ones and lowers the weight of the adults.

 

[Coffee N cookies]

someone told me coffee grounds were good for composting and that it was ok to put them in the chicken run. Is it ok for chickens to eat caffinated coffee grounds?

Coffee grounds should be used and washed out well and not added to their food but rather added to their bedding instead or in the bathing dirt, that helps keep dust down and might repel bugs

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

My chickens eat Habanero Peppers and don't seem to be bothered by the capcacin/heat in the peppers so I doubt coffee grounds would hurt if they ate a few. Heck, chickens eat pebbles so I really wouldn't worry about it.

Chickens and other birds can't taste capsaicin, the thing that makes peppers hot.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I compost with chickens, and have in a variety of contexts over the years. My chickens have access to the area where I throw my spent coffee grounds (paper filter and all) and they've never paid them any mind. They do like the worms they attract, though!

 

[BellasBirds]

They are nice when added to compost. But your chicken run isn't your composting area, is it?? Best to have a separate area where you have a compost pile... I don't know if the chickens would try to eat them, but it wouldn't be healthy for them to do so. When you clean the chicken run/coop/etc, dump the dropping and bedding into your compost pile. Coffee grounds are great to add at this time too. If you allow your chickens to come out for ranging at all, they can help your turn your compost pile. There are a bunch of informative threads on composting on this forum and on the internet, if you are interested. I highly recommend composting!

That's exactly where your 'precompost pile' should begin...right in your coop and run because you don't need to 'turn a compost pile'. It's not oxygen but the little critters living beneath the soil that heat it up and break the matter down. And, yes, have you heard of 'deep litter method'? You don't have to clean out the run/coop anymore. You just let it compost right in place simply covering and layering right on top of the poop and everything the way nature does in the forest...you'll never smell chicken poop again. It's a great way and healthier way to raise chickens because they also get the benefits of the microorganisms, worms, and bugs that are attracted and growing in the compost...yes, hard to believe...right in the coop and run. Try it. You'll never want to 'clean out a coop' ever again An added bonus is the microorganism that are breaking down the compost is beneficial for your chickens' microbiome...or gut bacteria. When the pile reaches 18 inches or so, you can dump it into your outside compost pile...and just add another layer of fibrous material: straw, wood chips, leaves...anything mimicking nature..no need to ever clean out the coop.