Is there anything chickens can't eat?

[spartacus_63]

My birds have eaten citrus, potato peels, chocolate, ham, chicken, beef, all sorts of fruit, rice (raw & cooked) cornbread, cookies, cake (they really like pieces with frosting), pumpkin, all types of melons, tomatoes, peppers, peas, beans, bugs, worms and so many things, I could never keep track of. There are some things they turn their beaks at, but not many. I have only had one case of sour crop and it was really a blocked crop. From this I learned that chickens should not eat rubber bands.

 

[Steak and Eggs Farm]

Mine eat the potato peels too. Its the "eye" you have to worry about. You don't want them to eat the new sprouts from the "eye" of the potatoes. Just like for people.

 

[spartacus_63]

Quote:
I have heard that too, but a couple of girls got into my seed potatoes this spring and it didn't seem to bother them. I would not feed it to them intentionally. They do love sprouts though.

 

[Want Less]

Ive always heard that it is the green potato peel you shouldnt feed to chickens... There are several references online that say potatoes that are exposed to light (such as by growing too close to the surface of the ground) will start to turn green and this green part is highly likely to contain a toxin called solonine. People shouldnt eat it, so in turn I assume that chickens shouldn't either for the same reason. This toxin is also found in the sprouts.

 

[chickenluv]

I've heard you shouldn't feed them strong things, like onions or garlic; I'm not sure if its because it will harm them, or just the fact it will give the eggs an off taste.

 

[the-bird-man]

i don't have chickens yet but i do have a story to tell. when my dad was a kid he found a big bottle of wine if front of a drunks house, he took it home and gave it to the chickens to drink, they got very drunk and hung over and were not so nice to him. my grandpa who was known to drink a lot ate every egg from them for the next 2 weeks and would not let anyone have any. he said they were the best eggs he has ever had.

 

[Miss Lydia]

spartacus, if you keep feeding your chickens sweets their teeth will rot.

....... as far as onions and garlic, it's probably cause their breath will smell bad:

 

[mldayton]

garlic and onions will make the eggs taste bad, but garlic is supposed to be a natural dewormer for chickens. You would just have to mix you eggs with sausage for a good omelet for a few days