Can Chickens Eat Watermelon

We all know that the watermelon is a tasty and refreshing fruit. There are many health benefits of eating watermelon, but one big question is can chickens eat watermelon?

That is what we are going to look at on this page!

Can Chickens Eat Watermelon?

Absolutely! Chickens can eat watermelon, In fact, they love it. It is one of the best treats that you can give your chicken when it comes to the hotter days of the year.

It is great to give at other times of the year too, mostly because watermelon is packed to the brim with nutrition that can really benefit your backyard chickens.

Chickens can eat the whole watermelon. Humans may not necessarily enjoy the skin or rind of the watermelon, but the chicken would absolutely love to peck away at it. It is not uncommon to see a few chickens completely demolish a whole watermelon.

How to Serve Watermelon to Your Chickens

Watermelon is high in water content. This makes the watermelon a fantastic summer treat. After all, chickens can find it difficult to get hydrated on occasion.

If you are serving watermelon to your chickens in the summer months, then we suggest that you cool it down a little in the fridge first. You can then cut it into chunks.

You do not need to remove the seeds or the skin, because the chickens are going to munch down on that too. Moreover, you may want to cube it up a little if you are serving it to chicks, but even then it shouldn’t be much of a problem.

There are some people who will make a watermelon soup to feed their chickens, but we do not find this necessary. It doesn’t change the water content, and it is a lot of hassle…especially since the chicken is going to be chowing down the whole watermelon anyway.

Of course, you can do this, but only if you really want to treat your chickens and give them something a bit different to eat.

Don’t go overboard when you are feeding them the watermelon. It can fill them up rather quickly. A whole small to medium watermelon is fine for a flock of about eight chickens. The chickens will eat through it rather quickly, particularly if they are feeling dehydrated.

The Downside of Chickens Eating Watermelon

You must remember that watermelon is packed to the brim with water. It is right there in the name. This means that if the chickens eat too much of it, their poo is going to get a little bit runny.

This problem isn’t going to be that much of a problem, and it certainly isn’t a health issue, but we do want to point it out because some people are a little concerned when it starts to appear.

While it is unlikely that your chickens are going to be leaving any watermelon behind, you do want to keep an eye out. Watermelon, like other fruits, can rot rather quickly.

If you leave little bits and pieces around the chickens, then the rotting watermelon will attract pests. The chickens could also get sick if they nibble a little bit on it.

So there you have it, you have the answer to the question ‘can chickens eat watermelon’. See more interesting articles like:
– Can chickens eat onions?
– Can chickens eat oats?
– Can chickens eat oranges and orange peels?