Mulberry provides us with colorful berries which are rich in antioxidants.
If you have a mulberry tree within the vicinity and you are raising chickens in the yard, you might want to know if you can give the fruits to the chickens.
If you would like to know, maybe you can give mulberries to the chickens or not, you are at the right place, just continue to read.
Can chickens eat mulberries? Mulberries are good for chickens. You can serve mulberries to the chickens as treats. Mulberries are a good source of antioxidants and vitamin C for Chickens.
There is nothing to hesitate about when it comes to serving Mulberries to the chickens.
Table of Contents
Are mulberries safe for chickens?
Mulberries are safe for chickens. Mulberries do not contain any toxic substances that can affect the body system of the chickens.
Some chicken owners do not do any research before they begin to introduce new treats to their pets.
It is pretty much easier to harm your pet if you just throw anything at them without checking the nutrition value in those things.
There are some chicken owners who have turned their pets into garbage cleaners. They abuse the wellness of the chickens by serving them table scraps all the time.
This is a bad practice and it can cause the chickens to suffer from malnutrition.
Before you decide to serve any new treats to the chickens, you need to first conduct a little research about it before you introduce it to them.
Try to know the level of toxicity present in the treat. If the toxic substance is in trace form in the treat, you should know that the treat can only be served to the chickens once in a while.
If the level of toxicity is way above the normal, you should avoid serving the treat to the chickens.
Just because other chicken owners stated that a treat is good for the chickens does not mean that you too should go ahead and start serving the same thing to the chickens without doing proper research.
In order to be more certain about this, I asked chicken owners about serving Mulberries to the chickens. Some of them give positive results.
A member of the backyard chickens forum said her hens usually eat mulberries and they have not shown any sign of sickness since the time she introduced the fruits.
How do I introduce mulberries to my chickens?
Introducing mulberries to the chickens should not be complicated. Make sure you are serving them ripe mulberries.
Do not rush to feed mulberries to the chickens. Just pack the fruits and put it in the feeders for them.
The chickens might not entertain the presence of the mulberries you put in the feeders. But over time they are going to try it out and finish everything if they appear edible to them.
How often do I feed my chickens with mulberries?
It can be very exciting to discover that your chickens can eat a treat if you have it in the surrounding environment.
You might be tempted to serve the treat to the chickens regularly. But you just have to be very patient so that you will not harm the chickens.
Mulberries should be regarded as a treat, that’s they are not something you can serve the chickens always.
Mulberries should not be served more than once in a month. This will help you to be on a safer side as too much Mulberries may cause stomach upset in chickens.
Can chickens eat mulberry leaves?
To be very honest with you, I have never served mulberry leaves to the chickens in the past so I can’t give much information about this.
I try to make some searches about the Mulberries for the birds. I discovered that the leaves of a mulberry tree do not contain toxic substances, so it is safe to serve the leaves to the chickens.
You can mix the leaves together with other vegetables you serve the chickens and watch how they are going to react towards them.
Can chicks eat mulberries?
The short answer to this question is no. Mulberries are not suitable yet for the chicks.
Though the Mulberries come with lots of vitamins and minerals, it still lacks protein which is very essential for the proper growth of the chicks.
Can mulberry affect eggs laid by the chickens?
Mulberries cannot affect the egg laid by the chickens because they do not contain any strong substance in their nutritional values.
So mulberries can still be given to the chickens and the point of you but it has to be in moderation.
Health benefits of mulberries to the chickens
Mulberries are a good source of antioxidants for the chickens. Mulberries also come with vitamin C which works hand in hand with the antioxidant. Both of them help to boost the immune system of the chickens.
Mulberries come with enough iron which helps to transport oxygen around the body system of the chickens.
Mulberry is also rich in potassium. Potassium ensures healthy function of the chicken’s heart.
Other nutrients in which the chickens are going to derive from mulberries are Vitamin k1 and vitamin E.
Other treats you can serve the chickens
These are some other healthy treats you can serve to the chickens if it happens that they did not accept the mulberries you serve them.
Cabbage
Cabbage is one of the healthy treats you can serve the chickens. Cabbage also provides the chicken with antioxidants. You need to slice cabbage into pieces for the chickens when you serve it to them.
Cashew
Cashew can also be served to the chickens as a treat. It is only the flesh you can serve to the chickens. Cashew provide the chicken with vitamins.
Millets
Millets are another good treat you can serve the chickens. Millets can be served with other grains for the chickens. It provides the chickens with carbohydrates.
Apples
Apples are a nutritious treat for the chickens. Apples are a good source of fiber for the chickens. You need to also dice the apples into smaller pieces for the chickens.
Carrots
Carrots are one of the treats that enrich the chickens with vitamin A. Vitamin A helps to improve the vision of the chickens and helps to see where there is no light.
Treats you should not serve chickens
These are some of the treats you should not serve the chickens and other birds you have in the yard.
Chocolate
Chocolate is not a good treat for the chickens. It contains toxic substances that disrupt the normal process of the chicken’s digestive system.
Green beans
You should never serve green beans to the chickens. Green beans contain Solanine which acts as pesticide on the beans.
Conclusion
Mulberries are good for the chickens. You can serve Mulberries to the chickens once in a while as treats. Chickens derive lots of vitamins from eating Mulberries. However, it is good to serve mulberries to the chickens in moderation.
Reference
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chickens-and-mulberry-trees.173550/
