Chokecherries are one of the trees that grow within the immediate environment.
If you have chokecherry trees on your property and you are raising chickens as pets, you might be wondering if you can serve the seed and leaves to the chickens.
In this blog post, you are going to discover if it is good to serve chokecherries to the chickens as a treat or not.
Can chickens eat chokecherries? Chokecherries are safe for the chickens. Chokecherries can be served to the chickens as a treat but it should be done in moderation. Chokecherries are a good source of fibre for Chickens.
Chokecherry can be a good serve for the chickens on occasion and the serving should be done in little amount.
Table of Contents
Are chokecherries poisonous to chickens?
First, I need to tell you that the seed of chokecherries contain cyanide as well as the leaves. This can cause instant death in chickens if you allow them to eat chokecherries in excess.
But if you cook chokecherries, the effects of the toxic substances present in the seed will be reduced drastically and this will make them suitable for the chickens to eat as a treat.
Can I Serve Chokecherries To Chickens?
To be very honest with you, I have never served chokecherries to the chickens.
In order to be more certain about this, I asked other chicken owners about feeding chokecherries to the chickens.
One of them said that he has been feeding chokecherries to the chickens for the past two years. None of them has shown a sign of sickness or death as a result.
Also you should avoid serving wilted chokecherries leaves to the chickens as a treat. You only allow them to feed directly from the tree if they go on free range.
And you should try as much to control the amount of chokecherries they are going to eat while they are browsing around.
This is the reason why it is very important to always do a little research about the new treat which you want to serve the chickens.
You must know the level of toxicity in the treats you want to introduce to your chickens.
It is also important to know the right proportion of the treat you need to serve to the chicken so as not to harm their health and well-being.
All of this knowledge will prevent food poisoning on the chickens and all the birds you have in the garden.
Some chicken owners don’t really care about feed consume the chickens. They serve any available leftovers to the chickens without concerning the impact on the health of the chickens.
This should not be you and if you have been doing it in the past, it is high time you stopped this bad practice.
How do I introduce chokecherries to my chickens?
Introducing chokecherries should not be something hard if it happens that you have them in abundance within the surrounding area.
There are two ways to go about this. You can allow the chickens to go on free range and they are going to eat the amount which is enough for their stomachs.
This is even good as the chickens are going to eat other plants when they are browsing around to minimise the effect of the cyanide present in chokecherries.
If you always have your chickens in an enclosed space, you can cut off a small branch of chokecherry tree for the chickens, serve them into the feeders and see how they are going to react towards it.
How often do I feed my chickens with chokecherries?
Chokecherries should be regarded as a treat. They are not something you can serve to the chickens regularly or in excess.
This means that you only serve chokecherries to the chickens once in a while.
It can be very tempting to serve chokecherries to the chickens often especially when you have them in abundance on your properties.
You should remember that the seeds contain cyanide which is poisonous and capable of causing different effects on the chickens which include death.
Can chicks eat chokecherries?
Chokecherries should not be part of the things you are going to serve the chicks especially when they are still less than 3 weeks old
The chicks need more protein at the early stage so that they can grow faster and develop feathers.
Most of the feeling you are going to serve the chips should contain nothing less than 18% off protein in their nutritional facts.
The chicks also need calcium. The calcium will help them to develop strong bone structure. Enough calcium in the body system will also allow them to develop a strong beak for consuming foods.
Can chickens survive on chokecherries alone?
It is not possible for the chickens to survive on chokecherries or any other treat for a long period of time. If you really care about your chickens this should never come to your mind.
The reason is that chokecherries lack some of the essential nutrients needed for the wellness of the chickens and other birds in the yard.
Why are my chickens not eating chokecherries?
The chickens are going to reject Chokecherries the first time you serve it to them if it happens that you don’t find it palatable.
The chickens are wise enough to determine some of the treats that are good for them.
The chickens might eat the Chokecherries you serve them the first time you introduce it to them. But they are going to reject it subsequently if it happens that they don’t feel well after consuming the treat.
Health benefits of chokecherries to the chickens
Chokecherries contain fibre which helps to improve the rate of digestion in chickens. Chokecherries offer a good amount of antioxidants for the chickens.
The chickens also derive Vitamin C from consuming show series which work in ants with antioxidants to boost the immune system of the chickens.
Other treats you can serve the chickens
These are some other healthy treats which you can serve the chickens.
Millets
Chickens are capable of eating Millets. You can serve millets alone or together with other grains for the chickens. Millets are a good source of carbohydrate for the chickens.
Corns
Corns are one of the favourite treats of the chickens. The chickens are capable of eating both fresh and dried corn. You can also grind dried corn and mix it with their feed.
Cabbage
Cabbage is one of the healthy vegetables you can serve to the chickens as a treat. Cabbage is a good source of vitamin C for the chickens.
Salmon
Chickens can also eat salmon. You can serve Salmon to your chickens at point of lay if you want to improve the Omega-3 fatty acid present in their eggs.
Treats that are poisonous to the chickens
It is also important to know some of the poisonous treats which you should not serve the chickens. These include
Avocados
You should not serve avocado skin and nuts to the chickens because they contain a toxic substance called Persin.
Green Beans
green beans should not be served to the chickens because they contain solanine which is capable of causing diarrhoea in chickens.
Conclusion
The chickens can eat chokecherries. Chokecherries provide the chickens with fibre. You should always serve chokecherries in moderation to the chickens.
Reference
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/chokecherry/chokecherries-in-the-landscape.htm
