Do you ever wonder what chickens eat? We’re going to find out today! Can chickens eat watermelon? The answer is yes! Chickens enjoy eating watermelon because it provides them with a good source of vitamins and minerals. It also helps keep their digestive tract healthy.
Most breeds of chicken can eat watermelon, but the best type for your flock would be one that enjoys sweet fruit like peaches, oranges, apples, or pears.
Also, be sure to not feed just any type of melon – some are poisonous to chickens so you will need to check with local experts if you’re not sure about what types they should have access to.
The seeds and the flesh of the fruit are safe for your feathered friends as long as they don’t go overboard on eating it or any other fruits or vegetables that have pits in them.
It’s important to make sure that their diet has enough protein in order for them not to suffer from malnutrition.
health benefits of Watermelon for chickens!
Watermelon actually contains 92% water which makes it refreshing both for us humans who enjoy its sweet taste as well as our four-legged friends with their normal propensity towards eating any food that they find lying around the house.
In addition to being high in vitamins A, B6, and C (along with various other antioxidants), these fruits also contain amino acids – making them truly beneficial not only nutritionally but health-wise too!
[ninja_tables id=”5408″]
Sugar
watermelon is a great natural source of essential minerals. You should, however, keep in mind the high sugar content in this fruit, which is not ideal for Chickens..
Watermelon has a high sugar content, which is one of the reasons why chickens can eat it in moderation.
Carving the watermelon rind in a way that only a little bit of watermelon flesh remains as a treat for your chicken is a fantastic concept.
Even better, if you remove the outer green layer of the rind and serve only the yellow portions to your Chickens, they’ll love it!.
You’ll have more control over how much sugar your chickens consume if you feed them directly from the container.
Otherwise, your Chickens may develop diabetes and obesity, which can lead to numerous other serious issues.
As a result, the ideal Chickens diet has less sugar and fat while increasing vitamin C and fiber.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an important component of your pet’s diet. Because the body of a Chickens does not make vitamin C, you must supplement it if you want your Chickens to have a robust immune system.
Chickens must have a sufficient amount of vitamin C to avoid scurvy, which is a fatal illness.
According to experts, humans need 20-40 mg/kg given daily to weekly, orally or IM. Laying hens under heat stress will need 200-500 mg/kg added to their diet per day.
Make sure your pet’s diet includes fiber, which they require in the same ratio as vitamin C.
As a result, the daily serving size of this fruit should never exceed a tiny cube due to its high sugar content.
Antioxidants –
Vitamin A and lycopene are present in the watermelon . Both are powerful antioxidants that may improve general health and immune function.
Chickens can utilize antioxidants to eliminate the free radical damage that causes them most of their health issues.
Can watermelon kill chickens?
No, Chickens are known to eat just about anything, and that includes the flesh of watermelons. The seeds give them a healthy boost of nutrients such as magnesium which is integral for strong bones.
They also enjoy pecking at the rinds, eating some leaves or vines-even sucking on their juicy fruit!
Chickens love all parts of this sweet summer treat including its delicious meaty chunks, crunchy rinds (which contain vital minerals), and rich seedpods with high levels of essential vitamins like A & C.
fun facts about watermelon
The majority of us prefer watermelons with flesh that ranges in color from light pink to dark red. However, the delectable morsel can also have flesh that is white, pink, yellow, or orange in color.
Although the precise location of the watermelon’s origin is debatable, it is generally agreed that the watermelon originated in Africa.
It would appear that even King Tut enjoyed the delicious dessert, as watermelon seeds were one of the goods that were located in his tomb once it was opened.
It wasn’t until the 7th century that watermelon was introduced to India, and it wasn’t until the 10th century that it was cultivated in China. The Chinese are currently the top producers of this liquidy snack everywhere in the globe.
In modern times, watermelon has become a common cuisine around the world, although it is rarely consumed in its purest form. Have you ever tried watermelon that was seedless?
The watermelons that are sold without seeds really have primitive seed structures inside of them that do not mature and stay white and squishy.
You have almost certainly seen that the price of these annoyance-free melons is somewhat higher than that of a conventional watermelon.
The fact that the manufacture of seeds for seedless melons is exceedingly labor-intensive is one of the primary reasons for this, and this cost is ultimately passed on to the end customer.
In 1939, researchers in Japan produced a seedless type of melon, but it has only been during the last 20 years or so that this kind has been competitive with the seeded variety. It has been estimated that seedless watermelons accounted for the vast majority of sales in the United States (close to 85 percent) as recently as the year 2014.
In terms of watermelon production around the world, the United States ranks sixth, while the states of California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida are among the top five producing states.
Because watermelons require a warm temperature to flourish, and because their growth cycle lasts for a total of ninety days, the southern states offer the greatest opportunity for production.
In the end, Japanese farmers pushed the watermelon breeding experiments to the next level by cultivating square melons. Why? Melons that are cut into cubes should, in theory, be easier to transport.
But in point of fact, the price of these round melons is over three times that of the oblong ones, which makes them very scarce.
How often can chickens have watermelon?
Chickens need plenty of hydration this time of year because heat increases thirstiness as sweat evaporates off its feathers faster than usual which dehydrates chickens easily;
one small watermelon could feed 8 – 10 birds over a day by providing enough liquid that will keep other parts internally moistened while cooling down any inflammation.
Chickens have a high water requirement during the summer, so make sure to provide them with fresh juicy fruit because it’s good for their health.
The best way is if you can grow your own in an organic garden or buy from local farmers at farmer markets where they are more likely to be certified and pesticide-free.
Can chickens eat unripe watermelon?
Chickens are one of the few animals that can feed upon watermelon, but only unripe fruit because ripe ones contain too much beta-carotene and lycopene to be digestible by most creatures.
How to pick the perfect watermelon
First things first, a skilled watermelon picker will flip the fruit over and look for a pale yellow patch on the underside where the rind has been in contact with the ground. They consider the presence of this buttery characteristic to be an indication of maturity.
You should proceed in the same manner when purchasing watermelon from the supermarket because, unlike other types of food, it does not continue to ripen after being cut from the vine.
If the bottom of the melon has a pale green or white spot, this suggests that the melon was plucked before it was fully mature.
Next, carry out what is known as the “eyeball test.” Make sure there are no wounds, bruises, or soft spots on your watermelon by inspecting it well and looking for them.
The peel of the melon should be tough, and the entire thing should feel heavy in your hands because the majority of what you are holding in your hands is water. The melon should be firm all the way around.
There are occasions when the vendor will chop a melon in half and put the halves on display beside the uncut melons. When a watermelon is cut open, it should reveal a deep red color that is speckled with ripe seeds that are either dark brown or black in color.
Although it is not possible to guarantee that each and every watermelon would have the same internal features, this color should be present.
A watermelon that has not been chopped can be stored at room temperature for up to two weeks. After you have chopped into the melon, you may cover the missing bits with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator for about two to three days.
If you do decide to give your chicken a taste of watermelon, you should make sure it is a very little amount and not more than she can consume in a single day.
If you leave fresh food in your bird’s cage for an extended period of time, not only are you encouraging mold growth, but you are also encouraging your pet to consume more food than is probably healthy for it.
What fruit is bad for chickens?
Chickens can be affected by the food that has strong flavors, like garlic.
Citrus fruits and rhubarb are not healthy or even poisonous to chickens; they should also avoid avocados and uncooked beans for the same reason.
Raw potato skins can cause illness in humans as well so it is best to cook them before feeding them raw vegetables with the skin on such as green potatoes without onions (which could make eggs taste bad).
What can chickens not eat list?
Some chickens can’t eat rice, while others can’t eat beans. Here is a list of some other things chickens typically can’t consume:
- – Grapes and raisins(pits and skin)
- – Onions and garlic
- – Chocolate
- – Raw potatoes or potato greens
- – Rhubarb leaves
- – Apple seeds or cores
- – Citrus fruits
Avoid feeding your chicken green potato skins (they’re full of toxins), dry beans (since legumes are considered “anti-nutrients” by farmers),
and unhealthy junk food such as cookies or chips since this will rot their teeth down from all the sugar exposure.
What Can Chickens Eat?
There is no reason to feel guilty about occasionally rewarding your chickens with a tasty treat, even though one of the commercial feeds described earlier should serve as the primary component of the diets you provide for your chickens.
After all, the chickens’ treats contribute a significant amount of additional nutrients to their diet. It’s also entertaining to feed your birds by hand and watch them interact with one another.
Warm oats, worms, pumpkin, apples, and broccoli are just few of the foods that rank among the top choices because of their high levels of protein and various vitamins (especially during the winter months).
I’ll provide you with some further suggestions for chicken snacks down below.
- Popped Popcorn (no butter or salt)
- ✅ Cooked Beans (though I read this can make the eggs taste funny.)
- ✅ Cranberries
- ✅ Broccoli
- ✅ Corn
- ✅ Brussel Sprouts
- Almonds
- ✅ Cooked Potatoes (no green skins!)
- ✅ Cabbage
- ✅ Peeled Bananas
- ✅ Cantaloupe seeds
- ✅ Milk (sour or curdled is fine)
- ✅ Avocado flesh
- ✅ Apples
- ✅ Quinoa
- ✅ Peppers
- ✅ Yogurt (plain is best, and a good source of probiotics)
- ✅ Grass clippings (do not use clippings when pesticides or fertilizers where applied)
- ✅ Eggplant (just not the plant itself – only the fruit)
- ✅ Raisins
- ✅ Fodder
- ✅ Bread (feed bread and other starches in moderation, as they have little nutritional value)
- ✅ Oatmeal (raw or cooked)
- ✅ Red winter wheat
- ✅ Flowers (make sure they haven’t been treated with pesticides – good options include pansies, nasturtiums, marigolds, etc)
- ✅ Cooked Rice
- ✅ Fish/Seafood
- ✅ Artichokes
- ✅ Bone meal
- ✅ Herbs, such as basil, nettles, chives, comfrey, chickweed, and cilantro (basil, in particular, boosts the immune system)
- ✅ Strawberries
- ✅ Lettuce and other leafy greens
- ✅ Cover crops (such as alfalfa, oats, sorghum, or buckwheat)
- ✅ Seedless Grapes
- ✅ Cooked Pasta (in moderation – too many carbs)
- ✅ Melon
- ✅ Kiwi
- ✅ Cereal (not a sugary kind)
- ✅ Berries of all kinds
- ✅ Fermented feed
- ✅ Nuts (in moderation)
- ✅ Pomegranates
- ✅ Sunflower Seeds
- ✅ Mealworms
- ✅ Pumpkin seeds
- ✅ Cooked Eggs
- ✅ Carrots’
- ✅ Cooked Turnips
- ✅ Garden weeds (such as dandelion, lambs quarter, and purslane)
- ✅ Tomatoes
- ✅ Pet or livestock food, such as dog, cat, or goat feed (wet cat food, in particular, is a great option when hens are molting, as it provides necessary nutrients)
- ✅ Cooked meat, including chicken
- ✅ Duckweed (exceptionally high in protein and easy to grow)
- ✅ Beets and beet greens
- ✅ Sprouted lentils and grains
- ✅ Lemons (in moderation, they’re good for them but they probably won’t eat them)
- ✅ Winter and summer squash (cut them in half and let the chickens eat the seeds and flesh)
- ✅ Cauliflower
- ✅ Garlic (beneficial for immune functioning)
- ✅ Black soldier fly larvae or Japanese beetles (you can easily make traps and bags to contain these and then feed them to your birds)
- ✅ Butchering scraps (ideally cooked)
- ✅ Cucumbers
- ✅ Zucchini
- ✅ Cornbread
- ✅ Pumpkins
- ✅ Asparagus
- ✅ Cheese (including cottage cheese, not too much though)
- ✅ Sweet potatoes
- ✅ Peas
- ✅ Grains
Can I give baby chickens watermelon?
Baby chicks should not eat rinds or seeds which can be fatal if ingested by little birds since their digestive systems aren’t fully developed yet but feel free to give them limited pieces daily because they love ’em too much.
What Age Can Chickens Eat Watermelon?
Baby chicks are not just cute little fuzzy balls of joy.
They will eat anything they can get their mouths on, from scraps to bugs and worms!
You may think it’s too soon for your chick to start Eating Watermelon but in reality, a few days old is perfectly capable of handling any food you give them.
Just don’t try giving them seeds because that could hurt what we call “crop motility”.
Conclusion: can chickens eat watermelon?
If you’re wondering if chickens can eat watermelon, the answer is yes! Chickens love to snack on watermelon. In fact, they’ll eat just about anything that’s edible and relatively easy for them to access- from vegetables like carrots or peas to fruit like apples or grapes.
Let us know what other food items your chicken enjoys so we can add more ideas to our next blog post!
Do you think this article was helpful in answering whether or not chickens can eat watermelons? If so please share the post on social media.