Millet are small grain cereals which are used as food and livestock consumption.
If you have millet in abundance at home, and you are raising chickens in the yard, you might be wondering if you can serve the millet to the chickens.
In this blog post, you are going to discover if it is safe to serve Millet to the chickens and other birds in the yard.
Can chickens eat millet? Millets are safe for the chickens. Millets can be served as a treat to the chickens. Millets are a good source of protein and phosphorus for the chickens.
If you are planning to serve Millet to the chickens, you should go ahead and do so. But make sure you serve millets to the chickens in moderation.
Table of Contents
Are millets poisonous to chickens?
At first, millets are not poisonous to the chickens because they do not contain any toxic substance that can harm the well-being of the chickens.
None of the common toxic substances found in most of the weeds and other grains are not present in Millet. So it is safe to serve millets to the chickens.
However, millet should not be served to the chickens regularly so as to prevent kidney stones from occurring in the digestive system of the chickens.
It is your duty as a pet owner to always inquire about the nutrients of the new treat you want to serve to the chickens.
You need to first determine the level of toxicity of the new treat before you go ahead and serve them to the chickens.
It is not appropriate to just throw anything at the chickens just because they are capable of eating most things.
You need to ensure that the chickens are eating the right proportion of the essential nutrients. So you should be considerate at the rate with which you introduce new treats to them.
There are some chicken owners who turn their birds into garbage cleaners.
Whenever they have some leftovers, they are going to throw it at the chickens. They do not care if the leftovers are good for the chickens or not.
These are the chicken owners you will see feeding the chickens with a single feed from a long period of time. You should desist from this habit.
How do I introduce millet to my chickens?
It can be a bit awkward to introduce millet or any new treat to the chickens if you have not done so in the past.
Well, introducing Millets to the chickens should not be complicated. You just have to go slow and be observant.
You can serve a small portion of millet grains in the feeders for the chickens and watch how they are going to react towards it.
The chickens might finish the millets you serve in the feeders if it happens that they like it.
If you think that they are not going to accept it when you serve the Millets alone, you can mix it together with other grains you normally serve the chickens.
If they found Millet palatable, they are going to eat all the millets together with the grains you served them.
How often do I feed my chickens with millet?
Now you know that you can serve millets to the chickens, that does not mean that you should serve millets to the chickens continuously just because you have them in abundance at home.
Millet should be classified as a treat nothing more. Which means you can only feed milets to the chickens occasionally.
You should not serve millets to the chickens more than one time in a week. Let there be an interval of two weeks at least before you give them another one.
The reason is that excessive consumption of Millets by the chickens can cause a kidney stone in their digestive system.
When this happens, it is going to cost you a lot of money in case you want the chickens to undergo operation.
Can chickens eat soaked millet?
I have never served soaked millets to the chickens before, I need to be very honest here.
However, I consulted one of my friends who happens to be a chicken owner too. He told me that he does serve soaked millets to the chickens and the chickens are very healthy.
The chickens do not show any sign of sickness since the time he has been giving them soaked millets.
Can chickens eat cooked millet?
The chickens should be able to eat cooked Millet but it has to be served in moderation.
It is very important to watch how they are going to react when you are serving Them cooked billet. The chickens over here are capable of eating cooked rice.
So cooked millets shouldn’t be a problem for them. You can simply place a little amount in the feeders for the chickens to see whether they are going to eat it or not.
Can chicks eat millet?
Millet can be a good addition to the feed you served to the chicks because they contain a certain amount of protein.
However millet should not account for more than 2% of the feed you are going to give the chicks.
Most of the feed you are going to give the chicks at the early stage should contain a higher percentage of protein in their nutrients.
This will help them to grow faster and develop lots of feathers in the process. The chickens at the point of lay also need a lot of protein for egg formation in your body system.
Why are my chickens not eating millet?
It is possible that the chickens are capable of rejecting the millets you serve them. These can be a little bit frustrating if it happens that other chickens are eating the millets.
The chickens may reject the millets you serve them once they are well fed before. If that is the case there is a possibility that they will come back to the treaty and finish everything.
However, it is important for you to know that the chickens also maintain unique body systems which make them react in different ways to a certain treat.
You should look for other ways of making use of the millet if you have them in abundance at your disposal instead of forcing them on the chickens.
Other treats you can serve the chickens
These are some of other treats you can serve to the chickens in order to boost their meal plan.
Corn
The chickens like corn. They are capable of eating both fresh and dried corn. Corn is a good source of energy for the chickens. And it can be a good serve during the winter.
Cabbage
Cabbage is a healthy vegetable which you can serve to the chicken as a treat. You can slice cabbage into smaller pieces and put it in the feeder or place them in a food hanger and let the chicken have fun.
Pumpkin
Chickens love pumpkin. Some of the chickens over here usually fly from a long distance whenever they spot a pumpkin in the yard. You can help them to break it into pieces so they can eat it very well.
Watermelon
Watermelon is a good source of vitamins and minerals for the chickens. Some chickens eat the seeds in watermelon but you should not allow them. The chickens are capable of eating watermelon rind.
Conclusion
Millets are safe for the chickens. Millets are a good source of fibre for the chickens. Millet can be served together with other treats for the chickens.
Let the chicks reach the age of 5 weeks and above before you give them the millet. However excessive millet can cause kidney stones in chickens so you should serve in moderation.
Reference
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/millets
