Can Chickens Eat Strawberries?

Sometimes you stop and ask yourself can chickens eat strawberries? Yes, chickens can eat strawberries. Just like many other fruits available, chickens can eat strawberries in moderation.

Strawberries are juicy, delicious, red fruits that contain nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, and so on. These nutrients are required for the well-being of your chickens.

Can chickens eat strawberries

However, your chickens should be treated to strawberries in moderation because they are high in sugar and too much sugar creates digestive problems for chickens. Strawberries are very rich in vitamin C and manganese and contain enough vitamin B9 and potassium.

Mixing up the strawberries with other fruits in your chicken feeder could be a nice treat for your chickens. They would love you for it. Make sure not to treat them to more than 10% of their daily diet. Too much treat would prevent your chickens from eating enough of their daily diet from which they get the majority of their nutrition.

Table of What Your Chicken Can and Can’t Eat

On this table, you would find a short but helpful list of what you can treat your chickens to and how much they can have. Check out;

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Nutritional Table for Strawberries

Amount per 100 grams

Calories 33

NUTRIENTS AMOUNT % DV
Total fat 0.3 g 0%
Saturated fat 0 g 0%
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 1 mg 0%
Potassium 153 mg 4%
Total carbohydrate 8g 2%
Dietary fiber 2 g 8%
Sugar 4.9
Protein 0.7 g 1%
Vitamin C 97%
Iron 2%
Vitamin B-6 0%
Magnesium 3%
Calcium 1%
Vitamin D 0%
Cobalamin 0%

 

Interesting Facts About Strawberries

  • Strawberries are not berries. Interesting right? Generally, berries have their seeds on the inside and grow from a single ovary, but strawberries have their seeds on the outside of their bodies and an average of 200 seeds.
  • Strawberries can grow from the seeds but most of the time, they are propagated by runners. They are also perennial plants and can last for up to 5 years. Strawberries are from the Rose family and they taste as good as they smell.
  • There is a museum dedicated to strawberries in Belgium, and they also have a day dedicated to them, which is the 27th of February, and a week in Delaware (21-27, May). Strawberries do not continue to ripen after being plucked. They contain more Vitamin C than oranges and also reduce inflammation.
  • Cold strawberries do not taste as good as the ones at room temperature and they are the first fruits to get ripe in the spring season, so you can enjoy the spring with a deliciously, juicy natural delicacy. Strawberries come in different colors like red, yellow, blue, white, purple, and black. Strawberries are really interesting fruits and are of great health benefits to your chickens if fed in moderation.

Can Chickens Eat Strawberries?

Yes, chickens can eat strawberries but they have to be eaten in moderation. Your chicken’s strawberry treat should not be more than 10% of their normal chicken feed diet to avoid health issues. Chickens love to be treated to strawberries and would eat it as long as it is available, but you must see to it that they don’t get too much of it.

Too much strawberry treat could cause low-quality egg production in egg-laying chickens and it could change the taste of the meat, in meat-producing chickens. You can slice up the strawberries to make it easy for your chickens to eat and you can also give it to the whole. They will peck at it until they get out a sizable chunk they can swallow.

What You Should Know About Strawberries

Strawberries contain nutrients such as 7.7% carbohydrates, 91% water, 0.7% protein, 0.3% fat. It contains vitamin C, vitamin B9, manganese, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B-6, vitamin E, and vitamin K. It also contains compounds like pelargonidin, ellagic acid (a polyphenol antioxidant), ellagitannins (help to fight bacteria), and procyanidins.

The stems and leaves of strawberries should not be consumed as they contain toxic compounds which can be dangerous to your chicken’s health.

Benefit Of Strawberries To Your Chickens

  • Improve heart health
  • Reduce blood sugar
  • Improve blood pressure
  • Help to reduce inflammation
  • Help to improve blood antioxidant status
  • They reduce oxidative stress
  • Aid vascular function
  • Help to regulate blood sugar
  • Aid brain function
  • They improve the blood lipid profile
  • Increase oxygen and blood circulation in the muscles
  • Allow for healthy weight loss.
  • Strengthen their immune system
  • Build strong tissues
  • Aid cellular functions

In Summary

Strawberries are delightful treats for your chickens. They do a good job of supplementing nutrients lacking in their daily diets when given in moderation. Chickens love strawberries, so don’t get carried away giving them more than they should have because too much of it is harmful to your chickens.

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