Can Chickens Eat Osage Orange?

Osage oranges are native American fruits. Osage oranges are also known as horse apples. 

If you have osage orange trees in your surrounding area, you might be wondering if you can serve the osage orange for the chickens.

In this blog post, you are going to discover if it is safe to serve osage Orange for the chickens as a treat. 

You will also discover some other treats that are poisonous for the chickens which you need to avoid serving for the chooks. 

Can chickens eat osage orange? Chickens can eat Osage Orange. You need to allow osage oranges to ripen very well before you start them for the chickens as a treat. 

Are osage oranges safe for the chickens?

Osage oranges are bug repellent. They are also used for repelling the spider. 

A chicken owner who knows about this might be wondering if it is safe to serve Osage oranges for the chickens.

The repellent ability of the osage oranges shows that it contains some substances that are very strong in nature. 

Therefore, a good chicken owner who has Osage Orange will want to know if the fruit is safe to serve for the chickens before serving them as a treat. 

I would like to tell you that goats, cows, and squirrels feed on osage oranges. This shows that it is safe for the home animals to some extent. 

I would like to tell you that chicken can also eat osage oranges. But this largely depends on the preference of your chickens.

It has been reported that some chickens reject osage oranges even when they are overly ripe. 

But nothing will happen if your chickens manage to eat or Osage oranges when you serve the chooks. 

How do I introduce osage orange to my chickens?

It is important to start small whenever you want to introduce the osage oranges for the chickens. 

You can serve osage oranges to the chickens directly to see how they are going to react towards the food.

Just make sure that you slice the osage oranges into smaller pieces and put them in the feeders closer to the chickens. 

It is certain that the chickens are going to finish everything if they find the osage oranges palatable. 

If it happens that they didn’t accept it there is no need to force the osage oranges on the chickens. 

You can keep the Osage oranges and use them as bug repellents in the house.

How often do I feed my chickens with osage orange?

Osage oranges are not something you can serve the chickens on regular basis if it happens that they accept it when you introduce it to them. 

Don’t be tempted by the abundance of osage oranges you have at your surrounding areas and start serving it everyday for the chooks.

You should serve Osage oranges for the chickens once in a while to be on the safe side. 

Can chickens eat osage orange leaves?

Osage orange leaves are not edible for the chickens. They are broad and a bit hard to chew for the chickens. 

Instead you can serve vegetables for Mitchell case if you want them to eat leaves. I compiled some of the healthy vegetables you can serve the chickens below

Can chicks eat osage orange?

Osage oranges should not be part of the things you are going to serve the chicks at their early stages.

Osage oranges do not possess enough protein needed by the chicks at their early stages. 

Other treats you can serve the chickens

The following are some of the healthy treats you can serve the chickens if it happens that they reject the osage oranges you serve them.

Corn

Corn is one of the treats you can serve the chicken. Chickens are capable of eating fresh corn as well as the dried one.

You can mix corn with some other treats for the chickens. Corn is a good source of energy and heat for the chickens in the winter.

Peanuts

Peanuts are also good for the chickens as a treat. You can serve the peanuts with shells for the chickens. They are going to use their beak to break the shell and bring out the peanuts to feed on. Peanuts provide the chickens with protein.

Cabbage

Cabbage is one of the healthy vegetables you can have the chickens as a treat. You can serve cabbage in the feeders for the chickens or your hand then in the middle of the Coop and let them fly to have a peck on the veggies. 

Lettuce

Lettuce is another vegetables you can serve the chickens. chickens are fond of feeding on vegetables whenever they have access to the garden. 

You can just slice the lettuce into pieces for the chickens before you serve them. Lettuce provides the chickens with antioxidants and vitamin C. 

Bread

Bread is one of those treats you can serve the chickens. Chickens are capable of eating different kinds of bread but I prefer having them sliced ones. You can also serve bread crumbles for the chickens and they are going to finish everything. 

Pumpkins

You can also serve pumpkin for the chickens as a treat. In fact chickens usually fight over pumpkins with other pets in the yard. 

Try to bring the pumpkin into smaller pieces before you serve them for the chickens and other pets you have in the yard.

Treats that are poisonous for chickens

It is also essential to know some of the traits that are poisonous for the chickens so that you will not serve them.

Chocolate

Chocolate contains Theobromine which is poisonous to the chickens. The toxic substance in chocolate can cause a tummy upset in the chicken’s so you should not serve chocolate for them. 

Avocados

Avocados are one of the fruits which you should not serve the chickens as a treat. All parts of avocados contain a toxic substance that can affect the health of the chickens. 

Moldy foods

If you always save table scraps and leftovers for the chooks, moldy food should not be part of what you are going to serve the chickens. 

Conclusion

Chickens can eat osage oranges. You should allow the osage oranges to be overly ripe and try to remove the seeds before you serve them for the chickens. However, moderation is the key whenever you want to serve a treat for the chickens.

Reference

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/will-chickens-eat-hedge-apples.425828/