Rutabaga is a root vegetable which grows in the garden. Rutabaga is also known as swede.
If you harvest some rutabaga from the garden, and you have them in abundance, you must be wondering if it is good to serve rutabaga for the chickens as a treat.
In this blog post, we are going to look at it together to know if rutabaga is safe to serve for the chickens.
Can chickens eat rutabaga? Chickens can eat rutabaga. Chickens can eat both raw and cooked rutabaga. Rutabaga is a good source of vitamin C and fiber for the chickens.
If you have some rutabaga at your disposal, you should never hesitate to save some for your chickens.
Table of Contents
Is rutabaga safe for chickens?
Before I could write out this content, I did a lot of research about rutabaga. With my little research, rutabaga is safe for the chickens.
I would like to tell you that rutabaga do not contain any toxic substance that can cause a serious issue and the body system of the chickens.
You should always do the same thing anytime you discover a new treat for your chickens and other pets you have in the yard.
It is very important to know the nutritional value as well as the toxic substance present in the new treat which you want to introduce to your chickens.
You can’t just go ahead and start serving every treat you have to your chickens out of ignorance. You can easily harm your chooks if you don’t care with whatever you feed them.
This attitude is common among the new chicken owners and this is Borne out of laziness.
They don’t usually care, as a result they throw every left-overs for the chickens and turn the birds into the garbage cleaner.
They are not going to realize this bad practice until the chicken falls sick or loses some of them to death.
One can never be too careful, you don’t have to wait until some of your chickens die due to the poisonous treat you serve them before you begin to care for whatever you give them as a treat.
When I was researching feeding rutabaga for the chickens, I discovered that some chicken owners also feed Sweden for the chickens as well.
A member of the backyard chicken forum said that he does serve rutabaga for the chickens as a treat whenever I have used a lot of them from the garden.
You don’t have to worry yourself if you are planning to serve rutabaga for the chickens, just ensure that you serve the veggies in moderation.
How do I introduce rutabaga to my chickens?
There are two ways to go about it if you are planning to introduce rutabaga to the chickens.
First, you can serve raw rutabaga for the chickens and watch how they are going to react towards the treats which you serve.
Some of your chickens are going to have interest in the rutabaga you serve them after having some perks on it. While the rest might stay away from it.
You shouldn’t worry yourself much about those that we get the rutabaga which you serve all of them.
You can as well apply the second method and see how they are also going to react towards it. This involves cooking the rutabaga before you serve them for the chickens.
Some of the chickens that reject the fresh rutabaga might find the cooked one palatable and heat all the ones you serve.
How often do I feed my chickens with rutabaga?
Now you know it is safe to serve rutabaga for the chickens, this does not mean she should go all out and start serving all the swede which you harvested from the garden to the chooks every time.
Rutabaga is safe for the chickens but it is not something you serve regularly for the bird.
Remember too much of everything becomes the opposite.
Therefore, you should not serve Rutabaga for the chickens more than two times in a month even if you have them in abundance at your disposal.
Can chickens eat rutabaga leaves?
You can also serve rutabaga leaves for the chickens. You can serve rutabaga leaves for the chickens alone or together with other vegetables which you normally serve their chickens.
Rutabaga leaves are also a good source of antioxidants for the chickens. You can shred the leaves into smaller pieces and put them in the feeder for the chickens.
Health benefits of rutabaga to the chickens
Rutabaga is a good source of antioxidants for the chickens. It is going to be very hard for your chickens to fall sick if they have a lot of antioxidants in their body systems.
Antioxidants will get rid of free radical elements that can cause sickness in the chickens.
Rutabaga also offers a good amount of fiber for the chickens and this helps to improve the rate of digestion in the birds.
Other essential nutrients which can be found in rutabaga include but are not limited to potassium magnesium calcium phosphorus etc.
Other treats you can serve the chickens
Corn
Corn is one of the favorite treats of the chickens. Chickens can eat both fresh and dried corn. Chicken can also eat corn on the cob if you provide it for them. Corn provides the chickens with energy.
Carrots
The chickens like to munch on carrots. You can serve carrots for the chickens so that they can have some perks on the vegetables. Carrots are a good source of vitamins for the chickens.
Cooked Beans
Raw beans are poisonous for the chickens because they contain a toxic substance called lectin. But this toxic substance becomes less effective once the beans have been cooked and this is safe for the chickens.
Apples
Apples are one of the healthy treats which you can serve the chickens. The chickens over here usually fight over the Apple served to them. Apples are a good source of fiber for the chickens as well.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are also good for the chickens as a treat. Pumpkins provide the chickens with vitamins and minerals. You need to break the pumpkins into pieces to make it easier for the chickens to consume.
Conclusion
Chickens can eat rutabaga. You can also serve rutabaga leaves for the chickens as a treat. Most of parts the rutabaga can be consumed by the chickens. However, rutabaga should always be served in moderation for the chickens.
Reference
https://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/cooking-questions/what-is-a-rutabaga
