Can chickens eat cranberries?
Yes, they can! But, in small doses.
Cranberries are not only delicious but also healthy treats for chickens.
And once you introduce the fruit at their snacking time, they’ll thoroughly enjoy it.
At Ninja Homestead, my flock loves to peck at the sweet treat quite often.
But, I always measure the amount and try to keep their diet as balanced as possible.
Now, you must be looking forward to knowing more about chickens and cranberries.
Are cranberries safe for chickens? Which fruits can be toxic for birds? How many cranberries are okay for chickens?
If these are the questions you are thinking of, scroll down for the answers.
I’ve decided to write this post and share everything that I know about chickens and cranberries.
Starting from how to feed chickens cranberries to their nutritional values, I’ll discuss everything that you must know before feeding your chickens cranberries.
So, without any further delay, let’s dig into it!
Are Cranberries Healthy for Chickens?
Cranberries are as healthy for chickens as for humans. Rich in antioxidants, cranberries are a great source of healthy nutrients. Feeding your chickens cranberries will make sure that your flock gets healthy growth.
Also, cranberries are filled with a wide range of minerals and vitamins. These can boost the immunity of your flock while providing them with better food absorption capacity. So, if your chickens love cranberries, you can add a small amount to their diet.
But, it’s really important to measure the portion of cranberries before sharing with your birds. You need to make sure that about 90 percent of your chicken’s diet should be from commercial feed and formulas. And the rest 10 percent should come from a variety of fruits and veggies including cranberries.
Can chickens eat cranberries? Well, now that you know they can, let me tell you more about feeding cranberries.
Do Chickens Like Dried Cranberries?
Yes, chickens like cranberries in almost every form, fresh or dried. They’ll also enjoy the treat if you mix cranberries with other foods. To chickens, the difference between dried and fresh cranberries doesn’t matter that much.
But, if the dried cranberries are commercially produced, they can contain a good amount of sugar and preservatives. So, you need to be a little cautious and check the label before feeding your chickens. Sugar and preservatives aren’t good for chickens at all.
If you want to feed your chickens dried cranberries, I’d suggest you dry them at home without any additives. That’ll be the best thing to do occasionally besides treating your birds with fresh ones. Sometimes, I mix dried cranberries with strawberries and watermelon to feed my chicks.
When it comes to the nutritional aspects, dried cranberries aren’t as healthy as fresh ones. That’s because dried cranberries are lower in water content, which can also reduce the essential nutrients. But, as the difference isn’t huge, I think both are good.
How to Feed Cranberries to Chickens
Just the way we humans like to try various ways of preparing cranberries, you can do it with your flock too. So, I’ll share some of the easiest ways of feeding your chickens cranberries.
Fresh
You can either give the whole fruits or chop them into small pieces and scatter them in the pecking area. As chickens don’t have teeth to bite or chew the fruits, chopping them into bite-size pieces will ensure easy digestion.
Dried
As I’ve mentioned above, dried cranberries are okay for chickens but not processed ones. To make a nutrient-filled snack with dried cranberries, you can dry the fruits at home. This way, you’ll keep your flock safe from sugar and preservatives.
Mixed
If you use trail mix for feeding your chickens, you can add some cranberries to the mix. The taste of the meal will be enhanced and your flock will enjoy it for sure. You can also make your own mix with assorted fruits that are safe and healthy for chickens.
Cooked
If you want to make the cranberries softer for feeding your flock, you can cook them. The texture of the fruits will change, which might make it easier for the birds to swallow. But, the nutrient value of cooked cranberries may reduce to some extent from the fresh ones.
Frozen
Frozen fruit blocks are amazing treats for chickens, especially in summer. And to prepare a nice one, all you need to do is mix fresh or dried cranberries with some other fruits, cereal, or oatmeal. Then, simply keep the blocks in your refrigerator and feed your birds.
Hanging
If you want your chickens to be involved in a playful pecking session, hanging cranberries in their pecking zone will be the best idea. This way, your chickens will find a new way of pecking and they’ll also learn a new life skill.
Can chickens eat cranberries? Yes, they quite relish the fruit. But, let’s double check whether cranberries are safe for chickens.
Are cranberries poisonous to birds?
No, cranberries aren’t poisonous to birds or any species. For this reason, a vast range of wild animals and birds love cranberries. You can safely feed any bird with cranberries as that would be beneficial for their health.
Can chicken eat uncooked cranberries?
Yes, chickens can eat and digest uncooked cranberries without any problem. In fact, fresh and uncooked cranberries should be encouraged because of the wide range of nutrients. But, if you want, you can also feed your chickens cooked cranberries.
The only problem your flock may have is swallowing the whole fruit, though it’s unlikely to happen. If you notice your chickens can’t consume the whole fruit, you can chop it into bite-size pieces. Chickens peck at their food with their barks and can’t bite or chew as they have no teeth.
Is cranberry sauce good for chickens?
Well, it totally depends on the sugar content of the cranberry sauce you want to feed. If you’re planning to feed home-cooked cranberry sauce without or with minimal sugar, just go ahead. But, store-bought cranberry sauce can be unsafe for your flock as it usually contains a lot of sugar.
So, the best thing would be to check the label and then decide. Cranberry is a good source of healthy antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins, the same applies to the sauce. But, you need to feed in moderation and maintain a balanced diet for your flock with other fruits and veggies.
Can chickens eat cranberries? Yes, dense with nutrition, cranberries are absolutely safe for chickens. But, what fruits are unsafe and can be toxic for your birds? Let me come to this.
What fruits are toxic to chickens?
While most fruits are safe for chickens to peck at, fruits with pits or seeds can be toxic for them. Apple, apricots, avocados, cherries, peaches, and plums are such fruits with pits or seeds. You can feed only the flesh of these fruits without the pits or seeds.
The pits and seeds of these fruits contain cardiac-toxic cyanide compounds in small amounts. So, these can lead to indigestion, cardiac issues such as cardiac arrest, and other health problems in chickens. If neglected, these issues can be fatal.
If you plan to grow these fruit plants in your homestead, you need to keep them at a safe distance from your flock. Otherwise, the curious birds may peck at the fruits with the seeds or pits and cause severe health issues. I have built fences around these plants to keep my chickens safe.
Can chickens eat raisins and cranberries?
Yes, both raisins and cranberries are safe and healthy food options for chickens. These fruits aren’t their meal but healthy treats for them. You can feed raisins and cranberries to your chickens once a week in moderation.
I’ve already talked about cranberries and will now talk about the nutritional value of raisins. High on fiber, calcium, iron, and antioxidants, raisins can be one of the best sweet treats for chickens. But, since raisins contain sugar, you need to feed them occasionally in small amounts.
What is the healthiest fruit for chickens?
Some of the healthiest fruits for chickens are strawberries, watermelons, and blueberries. Chickens enjoy these tweet treats very much and you can safely feed yours with these fruits. But, again, I’ll suggest you feed in moderation and not more than once or twice a week.
Low in calories, strawberries contain vitamin C, magnesium, folate, and potassium. Watermelons are high in vitamin A, B5, potassium, and magnesium and are also known for their water content. Blueberries are healthy snacks because of the vitamins C, K, and dietary fiber present in the fruit.
Cucumbers, bananas, oranges, kiwis, mango, and pineapples are also some ideal snacks for chickens. You can also consider ripen apples, avocados, and cherries without the pits or seeds. A combination of all these kinds of fruits will balance the diet of your flock, ensuring healthy growth.
What should you not feed chickens?
Here’s a list of foods that you should never include in your chickens’ diet:
- Uncooked beans
- Uncooked Rice
- Green potatoes
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Sugary foods
- Salty foods
- Citrus fruits
- Fatty foods
All of the above foods are unsafe for chickens because of different reasons. For example, chickens can’t digest uncooked rice or beans just like us humans. Chocolate or coffee is a no because of their caffeine and theobromine content.
Excess cholesterol isn’t good for chickens and so, they shouldn’t eat any food high in fat. Citrusy fruits aren’t safe for their high acidic content. Green potatoes aren’t safe for chickens because of the toxic compound solanine.
So, make sure you never expose these food items to your flock. And in case they mistakenly peck at any of these mentioned foods, keep an eye on your flock. If you see any kind of discomfort, get in touch with the vet immediately!
Are dried cranberries full of pesticides?
Cranberries that are grown conventionally may contain pesticides as they are growing with a high amount of pesticides. For this reason, store-bought dried cranberries may be unsafe for your flock. Instead, you can look for organically grown cranberries and dry them at home.
Pesticides are a real concern today, which is leading to health issues in humans as well as birds and animals. The bigger impact of soil and nature’s ecosystem is also quite evident today. For this reason, I chose to homestead and raise my own livestock to sustain my family independently.
What kitchen scraps not to feed chickens?
Kitchen scraps that contain a high amount of salt, fat, or sugar should be avoided while feeding chickens. Also, if you have spoiled or rancid kitchen scrap, you should throw it immediately without leaving it in front of your flock. Most health hazards and harmful diseases in chickens are occurring due to such unsafe foods.
Both sugar and salt are unsafe for chickens. Though chickens need a specific amount of sodium (0.12% to 0.2%) in their diet, too much salt can lead to health problems and lower mortality. Sugar, also, may cause excessive weight gain or obesity in chickens, leading to multiple problems.
Conclusion
So, can chickens eat cranberries?
I’ve shown you all the reasons why cranberries in moderation are a great treat for your flock.
And now that you also know plenty of ways to feed your chickens cranberries, go ahead.
But, don’t forget to measure the amount and also include other healthy fruits in their diet. While most of their meal should be sourced from commercial feeds, fruits, and vegetables should also be given to boost immunity and nutrition.
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Homestead Lifestyle Board!!
