I have always encouraged other chicken keepers to include different kinds of treats in their chickens’ diet. This helps in creating variations in eating, especially in winter, where chickens remain indoors. So instead of feeding them only one type of food, I include kitchen scraps, leftovers, and fruits in their usual diet. To my surprise, my birds end up enjoying their new meal, and this gives me a sense of satisfaction. Out of numerous treats that I give my chickens, I find pineapples to be among their favorites. Maybe you are wondering how possible chickens can eat pineapples. But rest assured that they can and will stop at nothing until the last piece is gone.
The question is, can chickens eat pineapples? The answer is yes, but in moderation.
Pineapples are an excellent treat for your birds and not as dangerous as you might have thought. On the contrary, pineapples contain many exciting nutrients not found in other chicken feed. A typical chicken diet consists of one type of food material, such as grain grit or a few bugs. Since this diet is essential to them, they also deserve a variety of other foods. This is where treats such as pineapples come into play.
Just like other treats, there are advantages and disadvantages of feeding your chickens pineapples. But rest assured that this sweet treat has more advantages than disadvantages when it comes to feeding your birds. This could be the reason why most chicken owners consider it a better choice of treats.
Perhaps you should try it on your flock to see the outcome. Most probably, your chickens will like it, and this will open a new chapter in their feeding habit. In case they like it, remember to give them in moderation to avoid future health complications. Let’s look at the positive attributes of feeding your chickens apples as well as the negative aspect of it.
Why Should You Feed Your Chickens Pineapples?
Pineapples are one of those adventurous treats your chickens cannot ignore. First, this fruit is sweet, watery, and easy to eat.
Remember your birds don’t have teeth to chew their food. Therefore, eating pineapples shouldn’t be a problem if you remove the peel, exposing the fleshy part. If you do it right, you will be amazed when you see your birds scrambling for their newfound treat.
Feeding your chickens pineapples is one of the creative ideas any poultry farmer can create. Pineapples have many health benefits to your chickens. This fruit can boost their immune system besides providing them the right nourishment they deserve.
By boosting their immune system, your chickens will remain healthy and grow rapidly. Also, they will produce high-quality meat and eggs with all the best flavors that you will come to like.
Besides boosting your chicken’s immune system, pineapples have other benefits as well. All these benefits are meant to make your birds more valuable, especially if you are raising them for commercial purposes.
Pineapples have no saturated fat and cholesterol, meaning that your chickens won’t develop certain health complications when they eat them.
Most importantly, they are a rich source of bromelain, a type of proteolytic enzyme that aids in digestion. This enzyme has anti-clotting, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. All these traits play a crucial role in maintaining your health status and that of your chickens.
In addition to that, consumption of pineapples daily can help protect your flock against worms. But that is not all. This type of food can also fight arthritis, not to mention taking care of all digestion issues among your flock.
As if that is not enough, pineapples are also one of the most significant sources of vitamin C. As you may know, this nutrient is essential in promoting the overall well-being of your birds. At the same time, it plays a critical role in collagen synthesis within your chicken’s body.
Why Should You Not Give Your Chickens Pineapples?
It is prudent that you understand why you shouldn’t feed your chickens pineapples. Since this fruit is beneficial, it is also not entirely suitable for your birds.
Just like humans, chickens have different tastes and preferences when eating different foods. Even though a considerable percentage of chickens love pineapples, some don’t like it at all. Maybe those that dislike this fruit respond differently to its taste.
If you are raising such chickens, then you should not bother wasting your time and money looking for this treat. Instead, you can channel your effort and resources to other types of foods they will find delicious.
When it comes to feeding your chickens pineapples, you need to carry an assessment and evaluation of each bird. This way, you will single out those that like pineapples from those that don’t. Then it will become easier for you to know which treat to give each one of your chickens.
While feeding them, make sure that each bird gets the right quantity. Otherwise, too much or too little of this treat can have adverse effects on their well-being. Moderation of everything is the way to go and the right step to take.
Another reason why you should not feed your chickens pineapples is the concern about their digestion. Some birds find it extremely difficult to digest this treat. This may sound like a fairy tale, but it is a fact you shouldn’t ignore.
In this regard, you should not force those chickens that don’t like pineapples to eat them. If you do, they may not digest this food, and in the process, they will miss out on essential nutrients. Worse still, the acidity in pineapples might cause serious digestive problems.
How Do You Feed Your Chickens Pineapples?
Like mentioned before, feeding your birds too many pineapples can lead to digestive problems. This should tell you that you need to provide your flock with a reasonable amount of this treat. Whether you give them canned pineapples, rinds, or other scraps, you should do it in moderation.
You should also look at the state of the pineapples you want to feed your birds. Some may be overly ripe, while others could be under-ripe. Furthermore, a few may have expired and not suitable for consumption. In this case, you need to be on the lookout for any of these types of pineapples.
Chickens dislike the taste of overly ripe or under-ripe pineapples. So don’t be surprised when you see them refusing to eat a few pieces if this treat. After all, chickens are ingenious and sensitive animals that take their time to scrutinize anything before eating it.
In case you are not sure about the state of pineapples, you want to feed your flock, try checking if they are consumable. You can do it by pulling out one of the leaves from the crown.
Should the leaf come out easily, then the fruit is ready to be eaten. You will also want to test its firmness to know if your chickens can enjoy eating it. If it feels mushy, just know it is too ripe or even rotten. Therefore, your birds cannot eat it.
If you want to avoid all these problems, you should consider feeding your flock dried pineapples. In their state, dried pineapples cannot cause the common digestive issues most chickens experience all the time. Most significantly, it lasts longer than other types of pineapples. You can purchase your dried pineapples from any grocery stores around you and feed your birds sparingly.
What are the Health Benefits of Pineapples to Your Chickens?
Functional Benefits
- As a tropical fruit, the pineapple has exceptional juiciness, tropical flavor, and plenty of health benefits. As such, your chickens will enjoy eating this fruit all day long.
- When it comes to nutrients, this fruit has it all. From calcium to potassium and fiber to vitamin C, pineapples are very nutritious. Starting with vitamin C, this essential nutrient serves as a potent water-soluble antioxidant. This means that it will act as an antioxidant in your chicken’s body system.
- Also, this vibrant tropical fruit is rich in vitamin B1 and B6, dietary fiber, and copper. Needless to say, pineapples possess anti-inflammatory properties and bromelain enzymes that play a crucial role in digestion.
- Thiamin and manganese found in pineapples also are essential to the well-being of your chickens. Manganese exists in pineapples in small quantities. This mineral is a critical cofactor for several enzymes where it contributes so much in energy production. At the same time, it is used in the antioxidant defenses.
- A cup of fresh pineapple juice contains about 128.0 percent of this mineral. In chickens, these two trace minerals are used in keeping them active. This is due to their role in energy production within the body.
- Another use of the functional benefit of pineapples in your chickens is the protection against their muscular degeneration. This happens when you make a habit of feeding your birds pineapples regularly.
Health and Nutritional Benefits
- Pineapples are yummy and refreshing, especially in hot weather conditions. Your chickens will most likely find them irresistible. This tropical fruit is loaded with plenty of nutrients, including beneficial enzymes. Together, these two factors ensure that your chickens remain healthy and strong.
- Pineapples are known to be effective in treating irregular bowel movement and constipation. That is why it is rich in fiber, a component that makes bowel movements in your chickens regular and easy.
- The fruit has virtually no traces of cholesterol and fat. Instead, it is loaded with numerous essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. All these nutrients are necessary and vital to your chickens. Because they promote the overall growth and development of their bodies.
- As a treat, pineapples are effective in controlling worms in your chicken’s intestines. It is also useful in keeping their kidneys and intestines clean. This fruit is effective in getting rid of the toxins, making your chicken’s metabolism healthy.
- With manganese in this treat, you can rest assured that your chickens will have healthy, strong bones and tissue. Since chickens spend most of their time scratching the ground, jumping from place to place, and bathing in the dust, they will require strong bones to support their bodies. To help them achieve this feat, you will have to give them pineapple to eat.
- When it comes to broilers, pineapples influence the quality of their meat. Interestingly, pineapple-leaf powder supplementation plays a crucial role in improving broiler performance. The supplement goes further to decrease your broiler’s feed conversion ratio, not to mention balancing gut microbial population. This shows how useful pineapple can be when your chickens consume it.
What is the danger of feeding chickens unripe pineapple?
An apple that is not ripe enough is not edible, and you should not give your birds to eat. This is because it is poisonous and can irritate your chicken’s throat. Also, an unripe pineapple contains high acidic content that can affect your chickens negatively when they eat it. In this regard, consider feeding your birds only ripe, fresh, and juicy pineapple only.
What happens when your birds eat excess pineapple?
Excessive consumption of pineapple can be detrimental to the well-being of your chickens. Excess pineapple causes the formation of bezoars or fiber balls inside the digestive tract. If this happens, the affected bird will experience some difficulties when eating other types of food.
Final Thought
Your chickens can indeed eat pineapples. But make sure that you feed them only the ripe ones. This tropical fruit contains an aromatic yellow flesh with a distinctive taste that makes it edible. Its flesh is what you should give your chickens and no other parts. Just like other treats, make sure that your chickens eat pineapples in moderation to keep them healthy throughout.
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Chicken Board!!
