What Can Chickens Not Eat? 19 foods to Avoid

No one likes to see food go to waste. If you have chickens you are probably used to feeding them kitchen scraps. I know I like to feed my flock tasty vegetable scraps all the time.

I have a pretty good idea of what my chickens can eat and what they should’nt. However, I wanted to make sure my knowledge base was complete.

I did some research and this is a list of what foods are toxic to chickens and additional ones that you should avoid.

A list of 19 foods chickens can not eat 

Any food that is moldy or rotten

You don’t eat moldy food and you shouldn’t feed it to your chickens either. Another common problem is accidentally giving your chickens feed that has gone moldy.

Moldy chicken feed can contain Mycotoxicoses. 

Mycotoxicoses is a toxin produced by a fungus. This toxin can cause lesions to form on your chicken’s tongue and other areas of the body.

The moldy feed can also lead to death. If you find your feed has mold throw it out and buy a new bag. Don’t risk it! Make sure you do leave rotting food in your chicken coop either.

Dont feed your chickens Bread Dough

Yeast in raw bread dough will expand the stomach and is known to cause death in certain animals if they eat too much. It’s not worth the risk. Bake the bread and then feed it to your flock.

Don’t let your chickens consume raw or dried beans 

Chickens can’t eat dried beans. Dried beans are known to cause death in chickens and humans as well if ingested. Kidney beans both red and white contain the toxin Phytohaemagglutinin.

Eating just a few of these dried beans can cause death to your chickens in just a few short hours. This is a big one on the list of what not to feed your chickens.

Chickens should not eat chocolate of any kind

Chickens can not eat chocolate. Everyone knows you don’t feed your dog chocolate but keep it away from your chickens as well. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine.

These substances can cause toxicosis with symptoms including irregular heartbeat vomiting, diarrhea, and several other nasty surprises. Scratch it off the eating list.

Avoid feed them avocado flesh, pits and skins

Chickens can not avocados. The Merck Veterinary Manual states that chickens should not eat the fruit/flesh of the avocado contrary to what some people might say.

The skin and pits of an avocado contain persin. Persin is a fungicidal toxin that is toxic to chickens.

Make sure you don’t fee your chickens any avocado leaves as this is the most toxic part.

Green potato peels are toxic 

Chickens can not eat green potato peals. Potato peels that have been exposed to sunlight and turn green contain alkaloid solanine. 

Alkaloid solanine is a toxin so make sure you don’t feed the chickens any green potato skins.

Avoid green tomatoes

Chickens can not eat green tomatoes. Green tomatoes contain solanine glycoalkaloid poison. As your tomato ripens to a red color the solanine disappears.

Read this article if you’re wondering how to ripen tomatoes that fell off the vine.

Apple cores with seeds

Chickens can not eat apple seeds. Apple cores contain seeds and these seeds contain small amounts of Cyanide. Cyanide is highly toxic to chickens.

This because cyanide will prevent cells in the body of a chicken from producing oxygen.

Cherry Pits

Chickens can not eat cherry pits. Cherry pits contain small amounts of Cyanide. Just like apple cores avoid feeding your chickens cherry pits.

If they ingest a small amount they should be ok but there is no point in taking the risk.

Coffee Grounds

Chickens can not eat coffee grounds. Coffee grounds contain caffeine which is not good for your chickens.

Toss the coffee grounds into your compost pile if you have one.

Eggplant leaves

Chickens can not eat eggplant leaves. Eggplant leaves contain Solanine. A glycoalkaloid poison Solanine found in species of the nightshade family of plants.

Solanine can cause diarrhea, destroy red blood cells, and lead to possible heart failure. The flesh of the eggplant is ok for your chickens to eat.

Pepper Leaves

Chickens can not eat pepper leaves. Pepper plants are in the nightshade family of plants and the leaves contain Solanine. Solanine is toxic to chickens and other animals.

You can feed your chickens peppers. My chickens enjoy eating sweet bell peppers that I grow in my garden each year.

Tomato leaves

Chickens can not eat tomato leaves. Tomato plants are also in the nightshade family of plants the same as peppers, so their leaves contain Solanine.

Don’t let your chickens eat them. You can feed your chickens ripe red tomatoes and my chickens love to chow down on them.

Maggots

There is some debate on this one as many chicken keepers feed their chickens maggots.

However, maggots feed on dead or decaying plant and animal matter which contain toxins that can lead to Botulism. Signs of botulism include difficulty breathing and the chicken is unable to walk with their neck stretched out in front of them.

If your chicken is pecking rotting meat for maggots they will also potentially ingest some rotting flesh. If the rotting flesh contains botulism your chicken could ingest it.

Not worth the risk I think but you will have to make that choice for yourself.

French Fries

French fries not harmful mostly likely if they are feed in small quantities. However, feeding your chickens a large amount of processed food is not healthy for them.

Rhubarb, stem and leaves

Chickens can not eat rhubarb stems or leaves. The leaves and the entire plant of rhubarb contain oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can cause soft-shelled eggs when your hen lays in the nesting box.

This is because oxalic acid inhibits calcium absorption. Even the stems can be detrimental if eaten in large quantities by your chickens.

Eggshells consist of 40% calcium content (380 mg of calcium/gram)

Raw Chicken

You don’t eat raw chicken and you should not feed it to your chickens either. The raw chicken could contain salmonella which is bacteria that makes humans ill. Also, it seems weird to feed chickens to chickens in my opinion.

Raw Eggs

Chickens shouldn’t eat raw eggs. You don’t want to feed your chickens raw eggs as they may get a taste for them. This can lead to your chickens breaking and eating other eggs that your hens have laid.

Feeding your chickens scrambled eggs however, does not lead to this problem.

Wild Mushrooms

Chickens shouldn’t eat wild mushrooms. There are many wild mushrooms found in the outdoors that are poisonous.

Don’t risk feeding them to your chickens as they could lead to possible death. Remove any nearby if your flock free-ranges to be safe.

Conclusion

Well avoid feeding your chickens these common foods and you should be ok most of the time. I’m sure there are other foods out there that should be avoided perhaps but this list will give you a good starting point.

When in doubt about a particular food don’t feed it to your chickens or do some quick research.