So, can chickens eat mangos? I always make sure that I introduce my flock to different treats to balance their diet. I’m happy that they respond well to every treat I provide them. Most of them get excited at the sight of fruits because they like the sweet taste in those types of treats.
Since you can eat mangos and enjoy its many nutritional benefits, your chickens can also do the same. Mangos are a healthy treat and come with many health benefits to your birds.
In other parts of the world, mangos are popularly referred to as “king of fruits.” Also known as Mangifera indica, mangoes are also categorized as drupes or stone fruits. This term comes about having large seeds in their middle.
Native to South Asia and India in particular, this type of fruit has been cultivated the world over for more than 4,000 years. That explains why you can find hundreds of mango species scattered all over the world. Each species has a unique shape, size, taste, and color.
In addition to being delicious, this tropical fruit has an impressive nutritional profile to the consumers. No wonder numerous studies link it to several health benefits ranging from improved immunity to digestive health to good eyesight.
Feeding your chickens mangoes is one step to helping them stay healthy and productive. And that alone should be your primary concern if you want to raise a happy flock. Let’s look at the great benefits of feeding your flock ripe mangos.
Why Should You Feed Mangos to Your Chickens?
Apart from being delicious, mangos are also nutritious and easy to eat. Most importantly, their nutrients help promote your chicken’s overall health. That is the main reason you should include mangos to your bird’s diet to make it nutritionally balanced. So, why should you feed mangos to your chickens?
Also, mangos contain small quantities of pantothenic acid, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and selenium.
Mangos Are High in Antioxidants
Mangos have high quantities of polyphenols, which act as antioxidants. Over a dozen types of these antioxidants exist in this juicy fruit.
Antioxidants play a critical role in protecting cells in the body against free radical damage. Most of the free radicals are very destructive compounds when they come into contact with cells. As such, polyphenols like the mangiferin in mangos can help reduce the effects of free radicals.
Since mangos have plenty of polyphenols, they can maintain your chicken’s health by acting as antioxidants. This is one of the greatest health benefits that your chickens can obtain from eating mangos.
Mangos May Boost Immunity
Your chicken’s immunity is of great importance when it comes to leading a disease-free life. For that reason, you must consider providing them with a few slices of mangoes to supplement their usual diet. This way, you will help them have a robust immune system thanks to the immune-boosting nutrients found in mangoes.
A few grams of mangos contain 10 % of vitamin A. This nutrient is essential for boosting your fowl’s immune system. This is because it helps prevent infections and other common ailments that may affect your flock.
In addition to that, the same quantity of mangos provides them with almost three-quarters of their daily vitamin needs. As you may know, vitamin C helps their bodies produce large amounts of white cells.
These white cells are responsible for fighting disease-causing organisms in the body. Therefore they will keep your birds healthy by promoting their immune system.
Mangos also are rich in folate, vitamin B, vitamin E, and vitamin K, all of which boost immunity as well. Make sure that your chickens eat a balanced diet containing a few mangos to help them achieve their health goals.
Mangos Can Support Heart Health
Mangos have nutrients that support your chicken’s heart health. They contain magnesium and potassium, the two elements responsible for maintaining a healthy pulse, relaxation of blood vessels, and lowering blood pressure levels.
Studies in animals show that an antioxidant called mangiferin can protect against inflammation of heart cells. At the same time, it can lower oxidative stress, not to mention lowering blood cholesterol and fatty acid levels. All these elements work together to support your chicken’s heart health.
Mangos Can Improve Digestive Health
Besides other health benefits, mangos have many qualities that promote your chicken’s digestive health. With an excellent digestive system, your birds will stay healthy and happy throughout. This will improve the quality of meat and eggs. And one of the best ways of helping them achieve this goal is by feeding them mangos.
A mango contains several digestive enzymes known as amylases. These digestive enzymes help in breaking down large chunks of food to make them digestible. In this regard, amylases break down most of the complex carbohydrates into sugars such as maltose and glucose.
Since mangos have large quantities of water and plenty of dietary fiber, they may also help improve your chicken’s digestive health. As such, your birds will not experience digestive problems such as constipation and diarrhea.
How Do You Feed Mangos to Your Chickens?
When it comes to feeding your flock mangos, you should know what to do. Now that they are your treat of choice, mangos need to be ripe for your chickens to enjoy. This is because ripe mangos are easy to eat, and your birds will certainly enjoy pecking at them.
The two main methods that you can use to feed then include:
- First, you must chop the mangos into tiny pieces and toss them to your birds. Make sure that the place where you are tossing slices of mangos is clean. This will prevent your chickens from eating dirt and becoming sick.
- The second method involves banging larger pieces of mangos for your flock to peck at. This technique will attract your chickens to enjoying their new treat. But ensure that each bird gets an equal share of this treat to prevent others from overeating.
Keep in mind that delicious treats such as mangos should not be more than 10% of the entire meal. This percentage is just enough to encourage them to eat their usual meal rather than relying on treats. Also, such amounts help in providing them with their daily dietary needs when included in their staple feed.
Most chickens prefer eating small portions of food throughout the day. This should tell you that they will spend most of their time eating any type of food coming their way. For that reason, you may start by feeding them a few pellets in the early hours of the morning and late evening. Include a few vegetables, fruits, and table scraps in their diet to balance everything.
Main Chicken Food Sources vs Treats
Before you start feeding your flock a new type of food, you should do your search first. The findings from your research will help you determine whether the new food is a treat or main diet.
To help you understand this simple concept, you need to draw a line between the two categories of chicken feed. On that note, the main food should provide your flock with macronutrients, with proteins being the most dominant.
On the other hand, treats must provide micronutrients to help supplement the main diet. Once you have this information at the back of your mind, you will find it easy to categorize treats and the main poultry diet.
Your chickens deserve protein to help them stay healthy, produce more eggs, and gain weight. Since mangos don’t have protein, you may consider them part of their treats and not their primary food.
Related Questions
Can I feed my chickens mango peels? You may feed your birds mango peels, but you need to be aware of certain things. Mango skins can trigger possible allergic reactions because they contain urushiol, which causes allergic reactions to people.
At the same time, the peels don’t taste nice compared to the juicy flesh, So, your birds will not continue eating them.
Finally, the peels may contain pesticide residue, which may cause serious health problems to your chickens. Having said that, you need to avoid giving your chickens mango peels by all means.
What will happen if I feed my hens too many mangos instead of their daily feed? Your hens will produce fewer eggs because they will lack enough protein. This is because mangos don’t have the protein that your hens need to produce more eggs.
In Conclusion:
Your chickens can eat mangos, and there is no doubt about it. This fruit is safe, delicious, and tasty for them to enjoy. Remember to feed them in moderation to keep them healthy and productive.
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Chicken Board!!
