The question of whether or not chickens can eat walnuts is one that has been hotly debated for a long time.
The answer is yes…sort of. It has been determined that they cannot digest the nuts themselves, but they can be fed to them as a supplementary food source.
Chicken can eat most kinds of nuts! It’s fine to add walnuts, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, and other similar items to their diet.
In fact, it can even be beneficial, as the nuts are a good source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
So feel free to give your chickens a handful of nuts every now and then! They’ll love you for it.
In today’s post, we ‘re going to take a closer look at the nutritional benefits of walnuts, and how they can benefit chickens.
can chickens eat walnuts
Contents
Walnuts are a type of nut that is native to North America. They are high in fat, but it’s the good kind of fat – the kind that is beneficial for your health. They are also a good source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Just keep in mind that they’re not a full course meal by themselves, but rather a treat – and thus shouldn’t take up more than 10% of your chickens’ daily diet.
Walnuts have a host of health benefits for humans. They are known to improve heart health, help with weight loss, and reduce the risk of cancer. They are also beneficial for the brain, as they improve cognitive function and memory.
So it’s no surprise that walnuts offer the same benefits for chickens. In fact, chickens that eat walnuts are known to be healthier overall, with shinier feathers and brighter eyes.
They are also more resistant to disease.
So if you’re looking for a way to give your chickens an added boost, consider adding walnuts to their diet! You won’t regret it.
Other nut varieties are also beneficial:
cashews– high in fat, but the good kind of fat
pine nuts– high in protein and calcium
pecans– vitamin E benefits
Hazelnuts are also beneficial to chickens. They are high in protein, lower in carbs, low in sugar, and contain plenty of fiber. The fats they contain can be used for energy by your birds.
Chickens that eat hazlenuts are generally healthier overall because of this. It’s even been noted that chickens that eat hazelnuts have brighter feathers! Again though – you shouldn’t feed them too much because it contains high amounts of calories.
cashews are also beneficial to chickens. Cashews are rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
They also contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and health-protective beneficial plant compounds.
Adding cashews to your chickens’ diet can help improve their overall health, including boosting their immune system, helping with weight management, and reducing the risk of some diseases.
nuts in general are beneficial to chickens, as they are a good source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Chickens that regularly eat nuts tend to be healthier than those that don’t, with shinier feathers and brighter eyes. Nuts also help reduce the risk of disease in chickens. So feel free to give your birds a handful every now and then! They’ll love you for it.
what can chickens eat
To make sure your flocks get all the nutrition they need, the main part of their diet should be a good commercial poultry feed.
These feeds come in pellet, mash, or crumbed forms and are made of a combination of grains (soybeans, oats, corn), grit (limestone or ground oyster shell), and vitamins (calcium).
Feed can be put in a feeder or a container, as well as other seeds and grains, like wheat and corn, could be spread around the area to add to their diet as well as encourage them to behave in a natural way.
A high quality poultry feed can be given every day, and fresh fruits and vegetables could also be given. Raw fruits and veggies that can be fed include vegetable peels,
- bananas,
- apples,
- berries,
- carrots,
- bok choy,
- silver beet,
- spinach,
- cabbage,
- broccoli.
- cucumber
- kale
- grapes
- watermelon
As a treat, you can also give your hens small amounts of cooked food like rice, beans, pasta, or bread.
Final word: can chickens eat walnuts
So there you have it – the answer to the age-old question: can chickens eat walnuts? The answer is yes…sort of.
Walnuts are high in fat, but it’s the good kind of fat. They contain plenty of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, high in antioxidants and can even boost your chickens’ immune system.
Chickens that regularly eat nuts tend to be healthier overall with shinier feathers and brighter eyes.
So feel free to give your birds a handful every now and then! They’ll love you for it. There are a host of other nut varieties out there that you can add to their diet as well.
I hope this article has helped answer the question of whether or not chickens can eat walnuts.