The yearly acorn thread

[Norwegian Chicken]

Right, I've done some searching and every year around this time someone asks if it is OK to feed acorns (chopped up) to chickens. This year it is me, I guess.

Lot's of info on the web, and a couple (really, there's only two or three out there) of papers in the scientific literature seem to suggest that as long as you keep the tannic content under control, they do not do any harm. Also, acorns should not be the main component of a chicken's diet (duh!). For the record, what we have here in Southern Norway is mostly Quercus robur and some Q. petraea (in the white oak group -> low tannins: I've tried them and they do not taste bitter really) and this year has particularly many acorns.

So, is there anyone here who actually DOES feed acorns to his/her flock or HAS done it? Any adverse effects? Most of the info around is just hearsay, really. I'm looking for someone who has actually tried it. Speaking of trying: I opened some acorns and broke them into small chunks. The ladies seemed to love it: they were much more excited about it than the first time they had fish, for example. But before making it a regular treat, I wanted to hear your experiences. Thanks!

 

[Norwegian Chicken]

Right, so, small update.

Although the chickens seem not too crazy about them, they come round the oak tree in the afternoon to score a couple (or perhaps they are really after worms in the acorns?). But, they also eat crushed acorns from the hand. The muscovies waggle around the driveway too, looking for any crushed acorns to nibble on. My bunnies also seem to appreciate them, shell and all (crunch crunch). I strongly believe that animals know what they can eat if you don't force it on them, so I suppose (European at least) acorns are fine if fed in moderation.

 

[aart]

I strongly believe that animals know what they can eat if you don't force it on them,

Can be true, unless they are confined and not given enough suitable nutrition, then they may gorge on something not necessarily good for them.

I don't have many acorns around here now, but as a kid our house was surrounded by oaks and the noise of them falling on the roof was overwhelming at times...not to mention them all over the ground, could make walking on the pavement dangerous and mowing and raking laborious.

 

[RUNuts]

My chickens and dogs eat them. The chickens will go behind the dogs to eat the dropped chunks. When the chickens are let out, they stop at the gate and eat all the acorns there first. Whole. These are the smaller, thumb nail sized ones. Not the longer, finger sized acorns.

Don't get me wrong. They love it when you crack acorns open for them.

 

[aart]

My chickens and dogs eat them. The chickens will go behind the dogs to eat the dropped chunks. When the chickens are let out, they stop at the gate and eat all the acorns there first. Whole. These are the smaller, thumb nail sized ones. Not the longer, finger sized acorns.

Don't get me wrong. They love it when you crack acorns open for them.

Do they eat the hulls or just the meats?

 

[RUNuts]

Whole thing. Husk if no one cracks it. Think marble or medium grape sized acorns. They prefer eating the meat out and will sit there and watch you step on to crack them. Then pick the meat out. No issues appeared. No acorns in the flight cage either.

 

[aart]

I would think the broken hulls could be quite sharp on their way to the gizzard.<cringes>

 

[RUNuts]

I use woodchips in the run & they eat the woodchips too. Still alive. So I've given up.

The kids, when they were younger, ate all kinds of stuff too & haven't dropped yet. Don't get me started on the dogs.

Wood softens as it soaks in water. Then breaks down easier.

 

[centrarchid]

I have had chickens eat acorns. They will eat freshly crushed, especially when otherwise fed a restricted ratio. Volume consume not quantified but no ill effects noted. Free-range birds not fed will consume intact acorns without too much trouble and in amounts so weight not lost. Grit obviously needed but I would make certain all birds have access to oyster shell or some other salt source so the cations can be used to negate effects of toxins in the acorns.

Only in heavy mast years is it worth effort to collect the acorns for feeding chickens. I would not waste time crushing them with my birds.

 

[Norwegian Chicken]

So, some feedback on this one.

Winter is behind us now. Boy my neighbours thought I lost my mind when I picked 50kg of acorns from the yard last autumn. BUT, I have been really happy I did it (I actually enjoyed picking them, it's a meditative thing to do on a nice autumn evening). I have been feeding the rabbits throughout winter with acorn, they absolutely love them. I guess a good quarter or even third of their diet has been acorns over the last few winter months, in addition to hay, pellets and bark. They crunch the whole thing up, no need to peal them or anything. I recently culled one and he was a healthy boy, not at all skinny just after winter. Noticed zero side effects.

As far as birds are concerned, especially the muscovies like them and so do the chickens. I haven't noticed side effects when feeding. Problem is they need to have them cracked, which I didn't bother doing. It's just a pain to hammer nuts when it's freezing out. They don't keep well after splitting and in contact with air, unless you pack them tightly and freeze them I suppose, didn't try.

So overall, I think acorns are a great source of food for many animals. I should note that I have only tried rabbits, chickens and muscovies. Also, this concerns the European or English oak, Quercus robur. These acorns taste sweet, no bitterness when I tried one. I do not know how this would work for North American species such as Q. rubra, Q. alba, etc. Tannin contents may also vary from year to year or between individual trees.