Can Chickens Eat Cabbage?

Cabbage is a very, very popular vegetable. It is packed with Vitamin C. This can lead many people to question whether chickens can eat cabbage or not.

Well, we have the answers to your questions on this page!

Can Chickens Eat Cabbage
Can Chickens Eat Cabbage?

Can Chickens Eat Cabbage?

Yes, chickens can eat cabbage! Most chickens will seem to love it too. Cabbage is low enough in fat and high enough in other vitamins and nutrients that you should be able to give it to them fairly regularly.

Obviously, this still doesn’t mean that you should be giving it to them every single day, mostly because the cabbage isn’t going to be providing the chickens with everything that they need and you don’t want them filling up on it, but a few times a week is good.

Can Chickens Eat Red Cabbage?

Yes, chickens can eat red cabbage as part of their diet. Red cabbage, like other types of cabbage, is safe for chickens to consume in moderation. It can provide them with additional nutrients and variety in their diet.

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How to Serve the Cabbage to Your Chickens

Chickens will eat the cabbage raw or cooked. It doesn’t really matter. You can shred it up, or you can give them the cabbage whole. Either way, they are going to be pecking away at it, and they are going to love the taste.

Generally speaking, when we feed our backyard chickens a little bit of cabbage, we love to give them our leftovers as opposed to giving them the cabbage whole. This is because, with leftovers, there will often be a whole lot more in them than just the cabbage.

This means that your chickens are going to be getting a broader spectrum of nutrients, which can only be healthy for them!

If you are going to be giving cabbage to your chickens, and you haven’t picked the cabbage yourself, then you may want to give it a wash down. This will help to remove any pesticides from the cabbage.

Yes. They would have been washed down before they were sent to the store, but you can never be too careful. If you have picked the cabbage yourself, and you see a few bugs on the cabbage, there is no need to remove them. It is a nice bit of protein, and the chickens are going to absolutely love munching down on these bugs.

They love a few of them in their diet!

Is Cabbage Bad for Chickens to Eat?

Can Chickens Eat Cabbage

As we said, you do not want to be giving your chickens too much cabbage each week. At the most cabbage (and other vegetables) should form about 20% of your chicken’s diet at the maximum.

Nearly all of the nutrition that they are getting will need to come from their chicken feed. It is the only way they are going to be able to produce those awesome eggs that you want to tuck into.

If you notice that your chickens are barely touching their feed, or their eating of it has gone right the way down, then there is a fair chance that you are giving them too many treats.

Remember, at the end of the chicken’s eating session, you are going to want to clean out any cabbage that is leftover. If you do not do this, then the cabbage will start to rot. This can cause your chickens to become ill if they eat it.

Even if that doesn’t happen, pests may be attracted to the smell. This could also cause injury to your chickens i.e. if mice and rats start to appear.

Chickens can eat cabbage, You can mix it with a few other fruits and vegetables if you wish. In fact, we actively encourage you to mix up the cabbage with other vegetables i.e. ones lower in fat. It will help to give your chickens more nutrients, while at the same time ensuring they do not take in too much fat.

Other fruits and vegetables chickens can eat:

Chickens eating cabbage

Final Thoughts

Chickens readily consume cabbage whether it’s raw or cooked, showing no preference between the two. You have the option to shred the cabbage into smaller pieces or offer it whole; either way, chickens will eagerly peck at it and savor the flavor.

When it comes to feeding our backyard chickens cabbage, we often choose to give them our leftovers rather than presenting the whole cabbage. This approach offers a broader array of nutrients as leftovers typically include a mix of ingredients beyond just cabbage.

Opting for leftovers means your chickens will receive a more diverse range of nutrients, contributing to their overall health and well-being.

If you’re planning to provide cabbage to your chickens and you haven’t personally harvested it, it’s advisable to give it a thorough rinse. This precaution helps eliminate any potential pesticides or contaminants present on the cabbage.

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