Chickens enjoy a varied diet, including fruit, but you might not have thought about giving your chickens kiwi if you live in North America. Kiwis are somewhat exotic in this part of the world, and California and a few other states have commercial farms. Most kiwi eaten in the U.S. is exported from New Zealand, Chile, and other countries.
Kiwis have a tart yet slightly sweet taste that you either love or hate. But what do chickens think of the fruit? As it turns out, many chickens love the taste of kiwi, and it’s safe for them to eat in moderation.
Can Chickens Eat Kiwi Skin?
A kiwi’s furry and tough skin isn’t appealing to us! However, chickens may peck away at the skin. It’s generally safe for them to eat in small amounts, but washing the fruit first is recommended to reduce pesticide residues.
Image Credit: Photo Mix, Pixabay
Can Chickens Eat Kiwi Seeds?
If you’ve ever eaten a kiwi, you know the soft black seeds are embedded in the fruit’s flesh. We eat the seeds just fine, as do chickens.
How to Feed Kiwi to Backyard Chickens
You should only feed your chickens kiwi that you would eat yourself. The fruit should be fresh and not spoiled. Cut off any bad parts of the fruit if necessary. You can chop up the entire fruit, skin and all, and feed your flock as an occasional treat rather than a dietary staple.
What Other Fruits Can Chickens Eat?
Chickens will love the occasional grape, orange, and strawberry. They can eat the fruits whole.
You’ll need to remove the seeds and pits from stone fruits like peaches, plums, and cherries, as they could be a choking hazard. Also, the seeds of some fruits, including apples and pears, contain cyanogenic glycosides, which are harmful to birds, so be sure to remove these, or just avoid feeding these fruits altogether.
When in doubt, check with your veterinarian before feeding your flock fruit.
Are Chickens Herbivores?
No, chickens are omnivores. A backyard flock will eat what’s available, but the birds are natural foragers. They’ll eat insects, grains, and vegetables.
Image Credit: Pixabay
What Vegetables Can Chickens Eat?
You’ll find that chickens love most leafy green vegetables like lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and kale. To avoid a food fight, chop up larger pieces of greens. Otherwise, one bird might try to run off with the entire piece.
There are a few foods that you should not give to chickens. Avoid anything caffeinated, including coffee beans. Small amounts can be dangerous for birds. The same is true for chocolate, salty foods, onions, garlic, dried beans, and food containing xylitol.
Some bird experts also recommend not feeding birds avocado. The skin and pit contain persin, which is toxic to birds. The flesh may sometimes be less toxic, but it is safest to avoid feeding any part of the fruit. It’s wise to be cautious. Check with your veterinarian before feeding your flock avocados or avocado-based foods.
Don’t give your birds any moldy, rotten, or spoiled food. You should only feed them food that you would eat yourself.
Conclusion
Chickens can eat entire kiwi fruit: the flesh, seeds, and skin. Chickens can also eat most other types of fruits, but you’ll want to remove the seeds from apples and pears and the pits from stone fruits. If you’re unsure about serving a fruit to your chickens, consult a poultry veterinarian for advice.
Cassandra is a professional writer living in the Upper Midwest of the U.S. Much of her writing centers around animals and family life, but she's been known to dabble in fiction. Her favorite topics to write about are cats, dogs, parenting, and food. Cassandra shares her home with two rescue pets: Harley, a Beagle, and Liam, a Siamese mix.
