If you love cilantro as much as I do, you may be wondering if your chickens can eat it too. The answer is yes, chickens can eat cilantro and they will love it!
Cilantro is a great way to add flavor to your chicken’s diet and it has some great health benefits too.
Cilantro, also sometimes called coriander, is a herb that has a distinctive flavor. It tastes like anise, or like licorice without the sweetness.
It’s usually used in Mexican cooking and other South American dishes as well as Asian cuisines such as Indian food and Thai cuisine.
In my opinion, it has a very strong taste so personally, I would feed it to my chickens because they might enjoy the taste of cilantro but others may feel different about that decision so your opinion on whether or not your chicken would enjoy eating cilantro may be different than mine!
In this article, we are going to talk about how chickens can eat cilantro.
Cilantro is a great plant that contains many nutrients and vitamins that are good for chickens. It’s up to you whether or not you want your hens to have access to this type of food but it might be worth giving them the option just in case they like it.
In addition to being healthy for their health, cilantro also has some benefits when it comes down to egg laying as well.
So if you’re looking for an alternative food source for your hens then keep reading!
So can chickens eat Cilantro?
Contents
Yes, chickens can eat Cilantro . Cilantro is known to be great for chickens because it’s low in calories and is rich in antioxidants.
The seeds have been seen to help get rid of parasites, which makes cilantro an even better choice!
Cilantro is a great tool for your chicken to aid in digestion. Vitamin A, C, potassium, and zinc are all essential nutrients that cilantro has plenty of!
While it shouldn’t be the main source of those vitamins/minerals make sure you incorporate some into their diet on occasion as an added bonus because why not?
Nutrition in cilantro
Saturated fat as well as cholesterol are virtually nonexistent in cilantro, and the caloric content is practically nonexistent.
Our chickens love it because it’s high in dietary fiber, vitamins A, E, C, and K, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron.
- Vitamin C- Chickens need Vitamin C to perform at their best and produce high-quality eggs. Maintaining regular metabolic processes and meeting physiological demands necessitates it.
- A crucial nutrient, vitamin C aids in the body’s immune system, fights illnesses and encourages healthy development. The body’s absorption of iron as well as other nutrients are facilitated by this vitamin.
- Cilantro has a lot of fiber, which is great for your diet. Fiber is an essential vitamin for Chickens because it assists digestion and promotes regular bowel movements. It also aids in the maintenance of healthy blood sugar and triglyceride levels.
- The body’s healthy development also depends on Vitamin A. Vitamin A promotes healthy tissue growth, improves vision, and aids in the production of a variety of hormones required by the body.
- This herb is a great source of fiber. Your Chicken ‘s cholesterol levels are also regulated by fibers, which are found in a variety of foods.
- This plant has a high concentration of vitamin K. Your pig’s bones will benefit from the vitamins you provide it. There are numerous health benefits for your pet’s immune system, as well as a protective layer of defense against excessive toxicity.
- Adding cilantro to your Chickens diet can also aid in the removal of harmful toxins from its body.
Tests have shown that cilantro could be used to manage diabetes and keep blood sugar levels under control. Cilantro can also be used as a food poisoning preventative. It’s best to add a small amount to their diet each time just to be safe.
Cilantro leaves contain the following nutrients in the following proportions (per 100 grams):
In a 2014 study on broiler chicks, cilantro powder or extract was found to increase the chicks’ performance indices and to have a good effect on their immune systems. The pathogenic bacteria in the bird’s digestive tract were reduced as a result, helping to improve the bird’s intestinal health and well-being.
How much cilantro is safe for your chicken?
When it comes to cilantro, your chicken will probably appreciate a pinch mixed into its regular meal.
Once you introduce an unusual taste, gradually increase the amount of fresh leaves added over time until they can tolerate about one teaspoon several times per week.
There is no need to add more unless you have a small breed because once this plant goes out of season and dried or powdered forms are used instead;
chickens tend not to like them as much anyway so stick with around 1 tsp for now if that’s what works best!
What herbs are bad for chickens?
There are plenty of herbs that you should avoid giving to your feathered friends.
These include
- catnip,
- borage,
- chives,
- calendula (pot marigold)
- feverfew,
- lavender for their sedative properties;
How do you feed chickens cilantro?
This is a critical stage in the preparation of any snack. Once you’ve determined that a snack is healthy for chickens consumption, your work is far from done. Isn’t it important to plan ahead? It’s really crucial!
For washing, we suggest using cold water and refraining from being impatient. Bacteria don’t like cold water as much, so cold water is preferable.
A couple of sprigs a week is more than enough for your chickens to have. Since cilantro isn’t high in sugar or fat and they can eat it, you should try including different herbs and vegetables into their diet instead!
If you want your chickens to get more of a nutrient punch from what they eat, don’t give them the entire cilantro plant at once. Two or three sprigs per week should suffice.
What can chickens not eat list?
1. Chocolate
Chocolate is the food most pet owners know about. As a chicken owner, I already realize that chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine which can be toxic to animals.
2. Raw Beans
Beans are a great source of protein and fiber, but raw or undercooked beans contain harmful toxins known as lectins. Lectins can make chickens sick so only feed your chicken cooked beans that you would eat yourself.
3. Nightshade vegetables.
Many nightshade vegetables contain solanine, a poison that is produced as a way of defending against being eaten. It’s only present in tomatoes and potatoes when they are green, but can be found in eggplant and other members of the family. Be careful!
4. Coffee or tea
The coffee we drink is not good for our chickens! The caffeine and methylxanthine in it contain two compounds that are harmful to them.
5. Avocado (mostly the pit and peel)
Most people have heard that avocado is bad for chickens, but what about the skin and pits of avocados? The toxin found in these parts is actually harmful to most pets including your feathered friend.
6. moldy foods
Be careful with moldy foods. Mold is toxic and you should avoid it at all costs. Don’t feed your chickens food that has gone bad, even if the expiration date says otherwise!
What can chickens eat List!
1. Fruits
Chickens love fruits! There’s no better way to get your flock excited than with a bowl of cut-up fruit.
Chickens benefit from the nutrition provided by each individual piece, so it doesn’t matter if you give them fresh or dried pieces as long as they know how much they’re loved.
Fruits such as bananas, mango, grapes, peaches, figs, watermelon, and apple are packed full of good nutrition that chickens can enjoy and there’s no better way to show your chicken just how much you care than giving them some delicious treats in their bowls every day.
2. Grains
Grains are a popular choice for feeding chickens not only because they add variety to their diet, but also give them something fun and entertaining to do.
Feed your flock things like wheat, quinoa, corn or oatmeal.
3. Vegetables
Vegetables make up an important part of poultry’s diets. swiss chard, kale, zucchini are all nutritious vegetables that chickens will enjoy eating more than you can imagine!
Chickens have a healthy appetite when it comes to veggies and they love trying new things too.
Conclusion: can chickens eat cilantro?
As you can see, there are a lot of benefits to feeding cilantro to your chickens! It’s safe and nutritious for them.
I hope this blog post has helped you learn more about the answer to “can chickens eat cilantro?”. You can now confidently give a delicious dish to your feathered friend with no worries! So don’t worry about it being bad for their health or giving them an upset stomach–the opposite is true. Give it a try today!
- Hosseinzadeh H, Alaw Qotbi AA, Seidavi A, Norris D, Brown D.. “Effects of different levels of coriander (Coriandrum sativum) seed powder and extract on serum biochemical parameters, microbiota, and immunity in broiler chicks.” ScientificWorldJournal. (2014)