A grape is a fruit, high in several important nutrients. Due to their high nutrient and antioxidant contents there is a huge health benefit of eating grapes. But, can chickens eat grapes and raisins?
Honestly, chickens can pretty much eat anything. So, the answer to ‘can chickens eat grapes?’ is pretty much a guaranteed ‘yes‘. However, this doesn’t mean that they should be eating grapes, does it?
On this page, we are going to take a look at whether chickens have grapes in the wild and, of course, if you can feed them grapes, how much you should be feeding them at a time.
Can Chickens Eat Grapes
Absolutely! Chickens can eat grapes, most chickens adore grapes (red or purple). As we said before; there is absolutely nothing that says chickens shouldn’t have grapes. While the backyard chickens that you have have always been domesticated (and they will have come from a long line of domesticated chickens), the original ‘bird’ that they have been bred from is a scavenger.
They are out there in the wild foraging for whatever food they can get their beaks on. While it is unlikely that they would encounter grapes in the wild if they did, then they would probably munch down on it.
The problem comes from the fact that grapes may not necessarily be healthy for a chicken.
Can Chickens Eat Raisins?
A raisin is a dried grape, right? So, yes chickens can eat raisins, but it should be given in moderation. Their sugar content is even higher than that of regular grapes.
Remember, chickens are just like us and an imbalance in their diets can prove really problematic, especially on their egg production. You do not want that to happen.
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Is Grape Bad For Chickens to Eat
A chicken is unable to chew their food. This means that you probably don’t want them to swallow it whole. While it is likely that the chicken’s system will eventually start to digest the grape, there is always the risk that it can cause some sort of blockage in the chicken.
Perhaps one of the best ways around this is to chop up the grape into smaller pieces. You probably do not want your chickens to be eating too many grapes at a time either. Even if you are chopping them up into smaller pieces, it is highly likely that your chicken will get sick if they eat too many of them.
It is worth noting that chickens will eat just about all of the grape. So, you don’t even have to give them the whole fruit. They are more than happy to chow down on the seeds or just the skin. This is a great way to control what they are getting into their diet.
Do Not Give Your Chickens Too Many Grapes
Chickens absolutely love grapes. However; you must remember that grapes are not that nutritionally dense. They are loaded with sugar, which isn’t going to be good for your chickens (even if it is natural sugar!). You should ensure that grapes are not a ‘staple’ part of your chicken’s diet. It is OK to give them a few grapes each week, but it is only ever going to be used as a treat.
If you can, you may want to keep an eye on the chickens when they are eating the grapes. As we said before; while the answer to the question ‘can chickens eat grapes’ is ‘yes’, if a chicken eats too many grapes, they are going to get sick. This is going to cause a ton of problems for you in the short term. Digestive issues can be tough to solve with chickens.
Remember, they are just like us and an imbalance in their diets can prove really problematic.
Give your chickens a good diet. The bulk of their diet should come from the specific chicken feed that you give them. They will also need a bit of chicken grit handy. Every now and then, you can tempt them with some meaty protein, vegetables, and fruits. However, in no circumstances should those ever be a staple part of a chicken’s diet.
If you do, then we can virtually guarantee that your chicken egg production will slow down.
