Moss is one of the flowerless plants that grow in our immediate environment.
If you have moss in abundance within the surrounding area, and you are raising chicken in the yard, you might be wondering if you can serve moss to the chickens.
In this blog post, you are going to discover if it is safe to serve moss to the chickens or not.
Can chickens eat moss? Chickens can eat moss. Moss is safe for the chickens. You can allow your chickens to have a free range on the moss in the surrounding area.
The chickens are capable of eating moss in moderation if they are on free range. There is no need to panic if you discover that your chickens are eating moss in the garden.
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Is moss poisonous to chickens?
Moss is safe for the chickens. Moss does not contain any poisonous substance that can affect the well-being of the chickens.
It is your duty as a chicken owner to always research the new treat you want to serve the chickens if you don’t want to harm them.
You must determine the level of toxicity in the treat you want to see the chickens. This will help to prevent food poisoning from occurring to chickens.
It is true that chickens are capable of eating most things. That does not mean that you should treat them as a garbage cleaner and start throwing anything at the chickens.
Most of the treats you are going to serve the chickens must be able to nourish them and provide them the essential vitamins and minerals for their proper growth.
How do I introduce moss to chickens?
There is nothing complicated when it comes to introducing moss to the chickens.
This will be pretty much easier if it happens that you allow your chickens to go on free range.
You can simply give them a chance to go to the place where there is moss. The chickens are going to eat enough of the plants that will satisfy them.
On the other hand, you can simply scrape some moss from the garden and serve them into the feeders for the chickens.
You can start by serving the chickens a small amount of moss to check if the Chickens are going to accept it or not.
The chickens are going to finish all the moss you serve in the feeder if they find the plants palatable.
You can simply serve moss together with some of the vegetables they eat.
How often do I feed my chickens with moss?
Now you know that you can serve moss to the chickens, that does not mean you should start scraping every moss you have within the surrounding area and serve them to the chickens regularly.
You don’t have to worry yourself with the right amount of the moss the chicken needs to eat if it happens that they go on free range.
The chickens are going to have some pecks on the moss together with the other plants found in the yard when they are browsing around.
Can moss affect the eggs laid by the chickens?
I don’t think moss is capable of affecting the quality of the eggs laid by the chickens.
Moss does not contain Omega-3 fatty acid which can improve the taste or volume of the eggs laid by the chickens.
Moss does not contain much protein in nutritional value. So there is no way it is going to affect the colour of the egg yolk produced by the chickens.
Can chicks eat moss?
It is not advisable to serve moss to the chicks. The reason is that the plants do not contain much protein in its nutritional value.
The chicks need more protein at an early stage so that they can grow properly. Protein is also essential for the growth of the feathers on chickens.
Majority of the feed you are going to give the chicks must contain a lot of protein. It is even recommended that the protein must not be less than 15% of the entire field you are going to serve the chicks.
Can chickens survive on moss alone?
The short answer to this question is no. There is no way the chickens are going to rely on most or any other treats alone.
The reason is that a treat does not contain all the essential vitamins and minerals needed for the proper growth and to maintain good health in chickens.
You can still serve a variety of treats to the chicken for a while if it happens that the medicated feed you serve them has been exhausted.
Why are my chickens not eating moss?
Your chickens are going to reject a new treat you introduce to them if it happens that they don’t find it palatable and this includes moss.
There are always two outcomes to every new treat you introduce to the chickens and other pets you have in the yard. It is either they accept or reject it.
Other treats you can serve the chickens
Here are some of the treats you can serve to the chicken in order to expand their meal plan.
Bread
Bread is one of those treats you can serve to the chickens. Bread is safe for the chickens. If you have some leftover bread you can serve it to the chickens. However you should avoid serving moldy bread to the chickens.
Cooked beans
Raw beans are not safe for the chickens but you can serve them cooked beans. The cooking process would have reduced the effects of poisonous substances found in raw beans.
Carrots
Carrot is another healthy treat you can serve to the chickens as a treat. Carrot is a source of vitamin A and fibre for the chickens. You can help them to slice it into smaller pieces to make it easier for them to eat.
Cabbage
Cabbage is one of the healthy vegetables you can serve to the chickens as a treat. You can slice the cabbage into smaller pieces for the chickens.
Conclusion
Moss is safe for the chickens. You can allow the chickens to eat moss when they go on free range. You can serve moss together with other veggies you give the chickens. Just make you serve moss to the chickens in moderation.
