Can Chickens Eat Chives? A Friendly Guide for Chicken Owners

Chickens are a popular backyard flock addition for their charming personalities, egg laying abilities, and pest control. As you get to know your chickens, you may wonder what foods beyond standard chicken feed can be offered to enrich their diets. One question backyard chicken keepers often ask is: can chickens eat chives?

Are Chives Good for Chickens?

Chives make a nutritious addition to a chicken’s diet. All types of chives, including common chives, garlic chives, and Chinese chives contain beneficial nutrients.

Chives are packed with vitamins A, B, C, and K. They also contain minerals like calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Additionally, chives have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

When fed in moderation, chives can provide the following benefits:

• Strengthened immune system: The high vitamin and antioxidant content of chives helps boost chickens’ immune systems. This makes them more resistant to common poultry diseases.
• Increased egg production and quality: The minerals and vitamins in chives support egg production. Chives’ carotenoid content also enhances egg yolk color.
• Healthy digestion: Chives promote good gut health and digestion in chickens. Their high fiber content aids digestion while probiotics support the beneficial bacteria in chickens’ digestive systems.
• Behavioral enrichment: Providing chives and other fresh foods satisfies chickens’ foraging instincts. This prevents boredom and destructive pecking behaviors common in confined backyard flocks.

So in summary, the nutritional profile of chives makes them a great supplemental feed choice when fed in moderation alongside a complete chicken feed.

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What Do Chickens Eat Besides Feed?

While commercial feed provides chickens with their dietary basics, chickens benefit from and enjoy additional supplemental foods. Their omnivorous foraging instincts motivate them to explore diverse food sources.

Beyond their standard feed, chickens can enjoy a varied diet including:

• Vegetables: Leafy greens, squash, root vegetables, peas, beans, corn, broccoli, cauliflower.
• Fruits: Berries, melons, apples, citrus fruits, pears, tomatoes, pumpkins.
• Herbs: Chives, parsley, cilantro, basil, dill, mint.
• Seeds and grains: Wheat, oats, sunflower seeds, cooked rice.
• Dairy products: Plain yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken-safe leftovers.
• Meats/eggs: Cooked eggs, mealworms, beetles, grubs.
• Miscellaneous: Limited baked goods, flowers, weeds, and kitchen scraps.

This diverse supplemental diet provides nutritional variety. It also allows chickens to exhibit natural foraging behaviors. While chickens enjoy exploring new foods, feed should still provide the bulk of their nutrition. When introducing new treats, do so in moderation.

Can Chickens Eat Onions?

Onions are close onion plant relatives of chives. However, there is a significant difference in the way chickens can eat the two.

Chives themselves are safe for chickens to consume. Onions, on the other hand, can cause life-threatening anemia in chickens and other livestock animals called Heinz body anemia.

Onions contain N-propyl disulfide. When ingested, this compound causes oxidative damage to chickens’ red blood cells, resulting in rupture and impaired function. Even small amounts of onions can trigger symptoms.

For this reason, it’s recommended to never feed onions in any form to backyard chickens. This includes all types of onions, shallots, leeks, and the white and green portions of scallions. Garlic is also best avoided.

Other Allium genus plants like chives contain insignificant levels of N-propyl disulfide. While chives are closely related to onions, chickens can safely eat moderate portions of chives.

Are Chives Toxic to Chickens?

While onions are toxic to chickens, chives do not pose a toxicity risk. Both common chives and garlic chives are perfectly safe for chickens to eat.

The tiny doses of thiosulphate compounds found in chives are harmless and readily metabolized by chickens. Additionally, the fiber, vitamin K, and chlorophyll in chives all support healthy blood in chickens.

When fed in reasonable quantities, chives will not cause adverse side effects or Heinz body anemia. In fact, the antioxidants in chives may help neutralize oxidants from other dietary sources.

Of course, it’s still smart to introduce chives gradually. Start with a few small sprigs and observe your flock. Discontinue immediately if any chickens show signs of intestinal upset or diarrhea after eating chives. But overall, chives are a non-toxic, nutritious supplement for chickens.

What Fruits and Vegetables Can Chickens Eat?

Chickens can enjoy a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to their standard feed:

Fruits: Apples, pears, watermelon, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, mangos, papaya, berries, tomatoes, and more. Opt for bite-sized pieces.

Vegetables: Carrots, yams, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, peas, leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, beans, beets, and more. Chop larger produce.

When introducing new fruits and veggies, start with a few small pieces per chicken. Make sure the offerings are bite-sized to prevent choking hazards.

Observe the chickens after feeding produce. Discontinue specific items if they cause diarrhea. Overfeeding produce can also lead to loose droppings. Combining produce with insoluble fiber sources like oats can help.

Fruits and veggies provide beneficial vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber. Offering a diverse mix prevents nutritional deficiencies and satisfies foraging needs. Rotate options and feed produce in moderation along with a nutritionally balanced feed.

What Herbs Can Chickens Eat?

In addition to chives, chickens can enjoy a variety of fresh herbs. Herbs to offer chickens include:

• Parsley
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Mint
• Oregano
• Sage
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Lemon balm
• Lavender

Herbs provide antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, and fiber. Offer a sprig or two of different herbs at a time and watch for favorites. The strong scents and flavors are enriching.

Herbs are best fed fresh. Avoid dry herbs, as they lose flavor and nutrients. Also, do not provide medicinal doses of any herbs unless under a vet’s guidance, as excess can be problematic.

Overall, herbs let chickens satisfy foraging behaviors safely. Chickens will nibble and enjoy the complexity added by herbs like chives.

What Human Foods Can Chickens Eat?

In moderation, chickens can safely enjoy a surprising variety of people foods, including:

• Plain yogurt and cottage cheese.
• Cooked eggs, meat, and seafood.
• Whole grains like brown rice, barley, quinoa.
• Veggie trimmings and peelings like carrot tops.
• Limited baked goods like whole wheat bread.
• Approved fruits and vegetables.

Avoid heavily seasoned leftovers and processed foods. Also steer clear of toxic foods like avocado, uncooked beans, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and more.

When first offering human foods, start slowly. Follow common sense feeding guidelines:

• Give bite-sized portions to prevent choking.
• Remove uneaten leftovers within 20 minutes.
• Make people foods under 10% of total diet.
• Avoid foods prone to spoilage.

The variety and protein offered by limited human foods make for a stimulating, well-rounded diet. But the bulk of nutrition should still come from a commercial feed.

How Many Greens Should You Feed Chickens?

Leafy greens and vegetables are a healthy supplemental feed for backyard chickens. But how much produce is ideal? Here are some best practices:

• Start slow: Introduce one new green at a time. Watch for any diarrhea indicating an individual intolerance.
• Feed limited amounts: Leafy greens and veggies should comprise less than 10% of a chicken’s overall diet.
• Provide bite-sized portions: Chop greens and veggies into pieces under an inch to prevent choking.
• Rotate options: Switch up greens and vegetables to provide more diverse nutrients.
• Pair with insoluble fiber: Combine greens with oats, seeds, or whole grains to prevent loose droppings.
• Remove uneaten leftovers: To avoid spoilage, remove wilted greens within 20 minutes of feeding.

Following these tips will allow you to safely provide small yet enriching portions of leafy greens. A diverse mix of greens and produce will reward your flock with good nutrition and behavior.

What Are the Benefits of Feeding Chickens Herbs?

Herbs offer a variety of benefits when supplemented in a chicken’s diet:

• Nutrition: Herbs provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that diversify a chicken’s diet.
• Behavioral enrichment: The novel flavors and scents engage chickens’ instincts to forage, explore, and graze. This reduces boredom and feather pecking behaviors.
• Health support: Certain herbs provide antioxidants and compounds that support immune function, circulation, digestion, and respiratory health in moderation.
• Egg enhancement: Some herbs like oregano and parsley contain carotenoids that help produce richer-colored egg yolks when consumed.
• Natural pest control: Herbs like garlic, mint, tansy, and wormwood may help repel parasites and insects when chickens consume small amounts.

Herbs let you supplement commercial feed with natural variety. Observe which herbs your flock favors and offer a few fresh sprigs at a time. This will add nutrition and curiosity to their otherwise confined life.

Final Thoughts

Can chickens eat chives? Absolutely! When fed in moderation, all varieties of chives provide a nutritious dietary addition for backyard chickens. Chives supply vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fiber that benefit chickens. They also satisfy foraging instincts without posing any toxicity risk.

Focus on providing a nutritionally balanced base feed, and supplement with a few chive sprigs or other herbs and greens daily. This mimics the diverse diet chickens would naturally consume. By answering “Can chickens eat chives?” and expanding their diet, you can boost the nutrition, behavior, and enjoyment of your flock.

Adreena Shanum

Welcome. I’m Adreena Shanum, the proud owner of this website, and I am incredibly passionate about animals, especially poultry. I founded adreenapets.com as a labor of love, stemming from my desire to share my knowledge and experiences with poultry enthusiasts worldwide.