There’s not much a chicken won’t eat, let’s be honest.
But, this just means it’s the responsibility of the owner to feed them only what’s safe and healthy.
There are a lot of foods that are kind of no-brainers, but there are a bunch of fruit and vegetables I constantly find I’m second-guessing myself.
When it comes to papaya, because it’s literally full of little black seeds, you have to ask yourself: are papaya seeds safe for chickens to eat?
Well, we’ll answer just that. Here’s whether chickens can eat papaya seeds, what benefits the papaya fruit has for chickens, and what you need to be careful of when serving your chicken’s papaya!
Contents
Can Chicken Eat Papaya Seeds?
Chickens can eat all kinds of seeds. From chia seeds and poppy seeds, to sunflower and flax.
But, not all seeds are made equal. Some seeds from fruits are actually considered unhealthy.
When it comes to papaya seeds, they aren’t known to be toxic. But, they are said to be a bit tough for chickens to digest.
although it may be safe for chickens to eat papaya seeds, to stay on the side of caution you should avoid feeding them to your chickens.
Funnily enough, some studies have mentioned that diluted seeds can be used to treat parasitic infestations, but this involved a thorough process of drying and processing the papaya seeds, and frankly I think I’d leave it to the professionals for this one!
What About Just Eating The Papaya Fruit?
So, although the papaya seeds aren’t considered healthy for chickens to eat, what about the flesh of the papaya fruit?
Well actually, if you take out the seeds, chickens can enjoy the tasty flesh of the fruit, without worrying about any unwanted indigestion problems!
Not only do chickens love the soft, creamy texture (by the looks of things), but they can also enjoy the vast antioxidants, vitamins, and other minerals which help with your chicken’s overall health and immunity.
Is Papaya Skin Safe For Chickens?
To be quite frank with you, I’ve never seen my chickens actually eating the skin of papaya. Chickens tend to avoid things that are inevitable (most of the time!).
Nonetheless, the skin of a papaya is not considered to be toxic to chickens. It is pretty tough though so it may cause them a bit of grief if they do ingest it.
To make things easier for your chickens it’s best to peel the papaya, remove the papaya seeds, and cut it into small pieces for chickens. But, there’s nothing wrong with throwing a whole halved papaya into the yard with its skin on so long as you remove the seeds!
Nutritional Value Of Papaya For Chickens
In addition to your chickens absolutely loving the taste and texture of the papaya, it’s actually packed full of nutritional value.
To name a few stand-out macro and micronutrients:
- Proteins
- Fibers
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B (Folates)
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Iron
- Potassium
- Magnesium
It’s also important to note that papayas aren’t too high in sugar. Too much sugar for chickens can be a real issue. Compared to other sweet fruits like bananas or berries, papaya has only about 50-75% of sugar.
Still, you should always feed fruits and vegetables to your chickens in moderation, so that they still eat at least 90% of their daily diet feeding on their formulated feed.
However, by feeding your chickens a small amount of papaya you will be able to bolster your chicken’s well-being with the above vitamins and minerals, without any downside!
How To Serve Papaya To Chickens
When it comes to serving papaya to your chickens, you’ve got a few methods you can use.
One of my favorite things to do with leftover papaya is to add it to my next fruit and vegetable mix that I give my chickens once a week.
Given it’s already got some sugar in it, I like to pair it with high protein and high fiber foods, and adding various seeds and root vegetables like parsnips or beets works well.
If you’re just looking to feed your chickens a quick snack, then simply giving them half a papaya per every 4 chickens is completely OK! You can either cut it up into small little pieces for them or you can feed it to them whole.
But, always remember to remove the papaya seeds as they are simply not healthy for your chickens to eat, and may cause digestion issues. Not good for the chicken, not good for you.
Wrap Up
Just to recap: you should not feed your chickens papaya seeds. Although they may not be dangerous they won’t be good for them either!
On the other hand, the flesh of papaya is completely safe and even considered healthy for your chickens to eat.
Still, it’s best to keep it in moderation, as it’s still high in sugar and low in protein and other vital macronutrients your chickens need to remain healthy and lay regularly.
It’s best utilized as a treat, or used in small amounts in your weekly or biweekly fruit and vegetable mix for your chickens!