32 Foods Chickens Can Eat and 20 They Can’t

If you’re curious about the foods chickens can eat – and those they can’t – you’ve come to the right place!

Many people decide to raise chickens because they are versatile little creatures that can eat just about anything. In fact, feeding chickens things like kitchen scraps and leftovers is a great way to cut down on your overall feed costs, and to make the most of food and yard waste.

While chickens can eat just about anything, there are a few things they should not be fed – and some foods that they simply don’t like all that much.

Here is a full list of feeding your chickens so you know just what they can (and should not) snap up with their opportunistic little beaks.

1. ✅ Grain

A solid meat bird or layer ration should be at the heart of your feeding regimen for your chickens. Available in mash, pellet, or crumbled form, chicken feed is uniquely formulated to provide your birds with everything they need to be healthy.

This should be the cornerstone of your flock’s diet – everything else is just extra.

Make sure the grain or feed mixture you select is matched with the appropriate kind of chickens you are raising.

For example, if you are raising laying hens, choose a layer feed. This has more protein and added calcium to help your girls lay lots of eggs for you. A broiler feed is necessary for meat birds, and chick starter is required for young birds.

2. ✅ Mealworms

A great treat to try for chickens is mealworms. You can buy some or grow your own. Either way, they can be used to help train your flock to certain commands and are super high in protein, making them a healthy option for most birds.

3. ✅ Most Vegetables

Chickens can – and love to! – eat most kinds of vegetables. There are a few minor exceptions, which we will detail below, but feel free to feed your chickens any parts of the following vegetables and their plant parts:

Arrowroot	Chicory
Horseradish	Peas
Daikon radishes	Arugula
Summer squash (zucchini, crookneck, etc.)	dandelion greens
Belgian endive	Carrots
Eggplant (don’t feed the plants or peels – these contain solanine and can be toxic)	Artichoke
Green and red cabbage	Cauliflower
Corn	Celery
Brussels sprouts	Beets
Jicama	Celeriac
Cucumbers	Fennel
Bamboo shoots	Bok choy
Radishes	Fava beans
Collards	Parsnips
Fiddleheads	Green beans
Broccoli and broccoli rabe	Cassava
Kale	Kohlrabi
Lettuce	Leeks
Cultivated mushrooms	Okra
Radicchio	Mustard greens
Peppers (don’t feed the plants – these contain solanine and can be toxic)	Rutabagas
Snow peas	Sorrel
Swiss chard	Cooked potatoes
Spinach	Sweet potatoes and yams
Watercress	Turnips
Winter squash (spaghetti, butternut, acorn, Hubbard, etc.)	Tomatoes (don’t feed the plants – these contain solanine and can be toxic)
Tomatillos

4. ✅ Most Fruits

As with vegetables, chickens can eat most fruits and the plants that grow these fruits. You might feed your chickens options such as:

Pineapple	Cherries (without the pits)
Cantaloupe	Cranberries
Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries	Elderberries
Coconut	Bananas
Grapes	Kiwi
Currants	Mulberries
Dates	Honeydew melon
Mangoes	Apricots
Loganberries	Figs
Apples	Plantain
Plums	Persimmon
Quince	Watermelon (a great option for super hot summer days!)

5. ✅ Almonds and Other Nuts

As long as you aren’t feeding nuts every day and they haven’t gone rancid, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and all associated products (like peanut butter, as long as there isn’t too much added sugar) offer a great way to supplement your flock with the healthy fats and protein they need.

6. ✅ Alfalfa

Alfalfa is another nutrient-rich food you can feed your chickens. You can feed them processed alfalfa cubes, or grow alfalfa for them to graze on.

7. ✅ Ants and Other Bugs

Just about any bug is fair game when it comes to feeding time with your chickens.

8. ✅ Herbs

Almost all herbs are not only safe for chickens to eat but also incredibly good for them, too. Many offer medicinal benefits, meaning they can help keep away parasites and various diseases as well.

Some good options include:

Basil	Oregano
Thyme	Marjoram
Lemon balm	Rosemary
Sage	Chives
Chamomile	Mint

9. ✅ Bean Sprouts

While you don’t want to feed your chickens dry beans (more on this below) bean sprouts are incredibly good for backyard birds.

Not only are they rich in protein, fiber, and vitamins like folate, but they also are inexpensive to sprout yourself at home.

10. ✅ Birdseed

Birdseed is another food that’s totally fine to feed your chickens. Just be sure to feed it to them in a spot where wild birds can’t get to it since this can lead to the spread of disease in your flock.

11. ✅ Black Soldier Fly Larvae

Another super healthy, high-protein treat you can make at home, black soldier fly larvae are inexpensive to make.

12. ✅ Bread

Feed bread in moderation and try to stay away from bread that is overly moldy, as this can contaminate your flock with various mycotoxins. It doesn’t have a ton of nutritional value but it’s still less wasteful than just throwing it out!

13. ✅ Cat, Dog, and Livestock Food

If you have leftover cat, dog, or livestock food (like pig feed, goat feed, or sheep feed), feel free to give it to your chickens.

Cat and dog food should only be fed when your chickens are molting since it’s higher in protein, but it’s a good option nonetheless to reduce your household waste.

14. ✅ Cheese

All kinds of cheese can be fed to chickens, including hard cheese, soft cheese, and even cottage cheese.

Don’t feed too much at a time, since dairy is high in fat and calories, but know that it’s a good way to provide additional calcium. Again, make sure the mold is cut off.

15. ✅ Chicken

It sounds a little dark to include chicken on this list, but the reality is that chicken actually provides a good source of nutrients to the flock. They’re opportunistic omnivores, meaning they’ll eat practically anything – yes, even their own kind!

Just make sure you cook the chicken first to prevent the spread of salmonella.

16. ✅ Fish and Shellfish

Any kind of fish and shellfish can be fed to your chickens, including raw bits and bones that are left over when you clean the day’s catch.

17. ✅ Crickets

Chickens love crickets, both the kind you can allow them to forage for outside, as well as the packaged ones you buy at the store.

18. ✅ Edamame

Edamame is okay to feed to chickens, but only cooked – do not feed uncooked soy.

19. ✅ Eggs

Both eggs and eggshells can be fed to your chickens. If you feed the actual egg, make sure you cook it first. Otherwise, this can lead to problems with your chickens eating their own eggs.

When fed out correctly, though, eggs offer a wonderful source of calcium that your chickens need to lay healthy eggs.

20. ✅ Flaxseed

Loaded with omega-3s necessary for the formation of healthy and nutritious eggs, flaxseed is another good food to consider feeding your chickens.

21. ✅ Grass Clippings and Weeds

As long as they have not been treated with pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, grass and weeds are all fine to feed your chickens.

Make sure you don’t cut the grass too long, though, as longer pieces can cause your chickens’ crops to become impacted.

22. ✅ Pork and Beef

It’s fine to feed your chickens any kind of meat, but make sure it’s cooked first to reduce the potential for disease spread.

23. ✅ Rodents and Snakes

Don’t rush out to the pet store to buy mice and snakes to feed your chickens – this isn’t very efficient or cost-effective!

However, don’t panic if you see your girls swooping up mice to nibble on from the yard. Both snakes and rodents are totally fine for chickens to eat.

24. ✅ Nightcrawlers

Chickens love eating nightcrawlers and they’re high in protein. If you have kids, set them to work gathering up nightcrawlers after a rainstorm – they’ll love feeding them to your chickens!

25. ✅ Oats

Oats, both cooked and raw, can be fed to chickens. In fact, it’s a great idea to feed your chickens hot bowls of oatmeal on cold winter days – it can warm them up as they digest it!

26. ✅ Popcorn

Popcorn can be fed to chickens but make sure it is unbuttered and unsalted to be safe.

27. ✅ Pumpkins and Pumpkin Seeds

Both pumpkins and pumpkin seeds can be fed to chickens, too. Just make sure you haven’t used anything to treat the exterior of your pumpkin (like if you carved it and used a preservative to keep it looking fresh).

Another benefit of feeding pumpkins and their seeds is that this is a fantastic natural dewormer.

28. ✅ Rice

It’s fine to feed any kind of rice to your chickens – but make sure it’s cooked first. Uncooked rice can lead to serious digestive problems.

29. ✅ Seaweed

Do you live near the ocean? If so, you may want to consider feeding your chickens some seaweed. They’ll love it!

30. ✅ Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds, like pumpkin seeds, are also a great source of nutrients for your chickens. They’re high in protein and healthy fats and are great for birds who are molting.

31. ✅ Wheat

You can even feed wheat, both processed and fresh, to your chickens.

32. ✅ Yogurt

Yogurt offers a ton of probiotics that are helpful when it comes to improving the immune functioning and intestinal health of your chickens. Don’t feed it every day, though, as too much dairy isn’t the best thing in the world for your flock.

20 Foods Chickens Should Not Eat

Here’s a quick table with what to avoid feeding them before I explain why:

❌ Raw Amaranth	❌ Apple Seeds
❌ Pits	❌ Avocado
❌ Chocolate	❌ Butter
❌ Coffee and Coffee Grounds	❌ Nightshade Plants
❌ Fried Foods	❌ Dry Beans
❌ Maggots	❌ Wild Mushrooms
❌ Raw Potatoes, Sprouts, and Peels	❌ Rhubarb
❌ Raw Meat	❌ Xylitol
❌ Alcohol	❌ Tea and Tea Bags
❌ Uncooked Rice	❌ Green Potatoes

1. ❌ Raw Amaranth

Although it is perfectly fine to feed your chickens cooked or extruded amaranth, you should avoid giving it to them raw. It contains ingredients that can depress their growth.

2. ❌ Apple Seeds

While bits and pieces of apple are fine to feed, avoid just giving them the seeds. They contain cyanide, which can be harmful and even lethal in large quantities.

3. ❌ Pits

It’s also fine to feed stone fruits, like nectarines and apricots, but always remove the pit first. This can kill your chickens.

4. ❌ Avocado

As with stone fruits, avocados have pits. However, they also contain persin, which can be fatal.

5. ❌ Green Potatoes

Green potatoes have a compound called solanine which is toxic to chickens. You should never feed them the green part of these tubers. This green pigment indicates the formation of chlorophyll through a process called greening.

6. ❌ Butter

Butter and oil are both too fatty for chickens to digest – and they don’t add a lot of nutritional value, anyway.

7. ❌ Chocolate

As with dogs, chocolate can be toxic to chickens. Don’t feed it to them.

8. ❌ Coffee and Coffee Grounds

Coffee and coffee grounds both contain caffeine – yes, even decaf! Don’t offer your chickens a cup of Joe.

9. ❌ Nightshade Plants

While you can feed tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers to your heart’s content, don’t feed the plant parts of these to your chickens (that includes leaves, stems, and peels). They contain solanine, which can kill your chickens.

10. ❌ Fried Foods

Avoid feeding overly processed and fried foods to your chickens, like hot dogs or French fries.

11. ❌ Dry Beans

Cooked beans are perfectly fine to feed to your chickens, but avoid feeding dry beans at all costs.

12. ❌ Maggots

This is one food that many people feed their chickens, and it’s up for debate as to whether it’s actually safe. In most cases, you’re probably fine to feed maggots, but the problem is that they can be contaminated with botulism. You might be better off steering clear.

13. ❌ Wild Mushrooms

While store-bought mushrooms are fine to feed chickens – and are a great source of nutrients and antioxidants – you should avoid giving them ones that you have foraged for in the wild. There’s the potential that you could give them a toxic variety that could kill them.

14. ❌ Raw Potatoes, Sprouts, and Peels

Cooked potatoes are fine, but don’t give your chickens raw potatoes or their sprouts or peels. They, too, contain solanine, which is extremely harmful to chickens.

15. ❌ Rhubarb

Avoid feeding your chickens rhubarb, which contains oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can cause organ failure in excess.

16. ❌ Raw Meat

Cooked meat is fine, but don’t give your chickens any kind of raw meat. It can spread disease.

17. ❌ Xylitol

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in many kinds of products. Avoid giving it to your chickens, as it can make them sick (and doesn’t add any nutritional value, either).

18. ❌ Alcohol

I sincerely hope you haven’t been offering your chickens a tipple – but if you have, stop immediately. There’s no nutritional value here and it can be quite dangerous.

19. ❌ Tea and Tea Bags

As with coffee and coffee grounds, you also need to avoid giving tea and tea bags to your chickens. Loose, caffeine-free tea leaves are probably okay, though.

20. ❌ Uncooked Rice

No uncooked rice for your chickens, please – it can be quite dangerous as it can expand in their stomachs.

10 Foods Chickens Aren’t Fond Of (Should Be Fed in Moderation)

1. Asparagus

The jury is out on whether asparagus is safe or not for chickens to eat. Most people say it’s probably fine, but it can cause an off-flavor in your eggs, so feed it only in moderation.

2. Cured Olives and Pickles

You can give your chickens jarred goods like pickles and olives, but do so in moderation. These are often brined in a salt-laden solution, and too much salt isn’t good for your birds.

3. Citrus

As with asparagus, people can’t seem to agree on whether it’s safe to feed citrus fruits to a flock of chickens. In my experience, chickens won’t usually touch the fruits anyway, so it’s probably a moot point.

You can try to feed chickens fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes, but be mindful of the fact that they’ll probably leave them be (and if they do eat them, it can cause an off-flavor in the eggs in excess).

4. Garlic

Garlic is safe for chickens to eat and actually offers a variety of medicinal benefits, and is a great natural de-wormer. However, it can flavor the eggs.

5. Onions

As with citrus fruits, most people say not to feed their chickens onions – but mine have never been fond of them anyway. They won’t hurt them but can cause a poor flavor in the eggs.

6. Pasta

Pasta is fine to feed to your chickens in moderation. However, it is high in calories and low in nutrition, so feed this out in moderation.

7. Quinoa

You can feed quinoa to your chickens, but do so in moderation – and only after it has been washed and cooked. Raw, it contains saponins that chickens aren’t overly fond of.

8. Snails

You can feed your chickens snails, but be careful about where they come from. They can harbor gapeworm, which can make your chickens sick.

9. Cereal

Like bread and pasta, cereal is fine to feed, but I would avoid the overly sugary varieties. Also, be mindful of the fact that it is low in nutrients, and should only be fed as an occasional treat.

10. Scratch Grain

Scratch grain is sold by most feed stores as a regular treat for chickens. While you can certainly treat your girls with the occasional handful of scratch grain (it’s a wonderful training tool, in fact!) there’s not a lot of nutrition here and it’s calorically dense, so use it only occasionally.

Feed Your Chickens….With Just About Anything!

As you can see, there are tons of foods that chickens can eat and very few that they cannot. Feel free to get creative in your approach – not only is it fun to give your chickens tasty treats, but it can help cut down on your feed bill, too.

Just remember to make a good, balanced feed that’s formulated specifically for your girls the main source of nutrition – everything else is just a bonus!