Toxic and Dangerous Foods for Chickens

Foods to Never Feed Chickens

Never feed chickens the following items due to their toxic and dangerous nature:

• Avocado pit and skin (contains persin toxin; the flesh in tiny amounts is debated but not worth the risk).
• Raw or dried beans of any kind (contains phytohemagglutinin, which is lethal; cooking neutralizes it).
• Green potatoes and green potato peels (contain solanine).
• Raw potato in bulk.
• Tomato and eggplant leaves and stems (part of the nightshade family).
• Rhubarb leaves (contain oxalic acid).
• Onion and garlic in large quantities (can cause hemolytic anemia; small culinary amounts are fine).
• Moldy anything (mycotoxins are one of the top silent killers).
• Chocolate (contains theobromine).
• Coffee grounds and tea bags (contain caffeine).
• Heavily salted foods (chickens have no way to shed excess sodium).
• Alcohol.
• Citrus in large amounts (debated, but most chickens ignore it anyway).
• Apple seeds and stone fruit pits in bulk (contain cyanogenic glycosides).
• Raw meat that has spoiled.
• Dried or raw beans.
• Uncooked rice in huge quantities (fine when cooked).

Additional Hazards

Also, keep chickens away from:

• Lawn clippings that have been sitting and heating up.
• Treated wood shavings (cedar oils irritate the airway).
• Anything sprayed with pesticide or herbicide within the last two weeks.

Monitoring Chicken Health

If a chicken eats something questionable and acts fine within 24 hours, they almost always are.