When you’re enjoying a mouthful of succulent and sweet you may be wondering if your would like it as much as you do. Or maybe you’ve simply come into a lot of mangos that you’re just not sure what to do with.
The truth is, chickens can eat , and as it turns out, it’s actually a perfectly healthy and nutritious treat to give your chickens on a semi-regular basis. Chickens can even eat , but will generally avoid it if they’ve got better options. Just remember to take off the leaves as they can be toxic to chickens in high doses.
Here’s everything you need to know when feeding your chickens .
Here’s The Key Points
Chickens can safely enjoy mango, and it turns out they actually love it!
Here are a few guidelines:
FLESH: The juicy flesh of the mango is totally safe and highly nutritious for your chickens. They’ll gobble it up without hesitation.
PEEL: Feel free to toss them the peel too. Contrary to what some might think, the peel isn’t toxic, and your chickens might actually enjoy pecking at it. Just make sure it’s free of pesticides. –
PIT: Here’s the one part you should avoid—mango pits are large and hard, posing a potential choking hazard. Plus, the seeds contain trace amounts of cyanide, so, better safe than sorry!
OVERALL: Of course, moderation is key. While mango is rich in vitamins and encourages a varied diet, it’s also high in sugar. You definitely don’t want your flock turning into junk-food junkies overnight—so treat mangoes more like dessert.
In summary, feel free to share your mangoes with your feathered friends—just skip the pit, keep the servings reasonable, and enjoy their happy, fruity feast!
?
Mangoes are one of those super-healthy fruits that are packed with vitamins, sugars, minerals, and plenty of antioxidants.
Although chickens can eat mangos, they tend to prefer when they’re ripe — just like we do! Otherwise, isn’t as soft, and they’re more sour than sweet. But, if they are ripe or ripe enough, your will be a perfectly safe and healthy treat for them to enjoy.
contains Vitamins A, B5, B6, C, K, and E. It also has a good level of potassium and magnesium, and fiber to keep your chickens regular. All of these benefit the chicken’s health, and overall will help protect the chicken’s heart, lungs, kidneys, immune systems, and bone strength. A lot that comes from a humble .
But, just like any or vegetable, they should be used only as a treat and not a substitute for a balanced .
Skins?
The natural scavengers that they are, chickens are always eager to peck away at anything, including sweet treats. But skins, though? Is it safe for them and is it even healthy?
As a matter of fact, chickens can eat skins, and they’re pretty high in fiber, contain even more nutrients, and have stronger antioxidants than the itself. Provided they’re given in moderation, or skin is generally very healthy for chickens.
skins do contain a small amount of urushiol, which can cause allergic reactions and skin issues in some chickens. But, at such low doses and because of how uncommon severe reactions are, the urushiol isn’t much of a concern.
Just start with a small amount of to begin with, and observe any reactions on the face or beak. If your hasn’t been grown organically in your backyard then always be sure to wash it thoroughly to remove any lingering pesticides.
Leaves?
The only part of the the chickens can’t eat is the leaves. Chickens usually do a good job at avoiding foods that aren’t good for them. But, leaves, because of their high doses of an oily substance called urushiol, are actually toxic for chickens.
If your has accidentally eaten some of a , don’t stress, they will normally be fine if they haven’t consumed too much or don’t have an allergic reaction to it. But, it is a risk to be aware of.
Is Healthy for Chickens?
It’s important to ensure your chickens have a well-balanced , for their overall health, wellbeing, and to help their production. In fact, the quality of a ’s is directly related to their .
The good news is, mangoes and even their skins are packed with nutrients and are a great addition to your
‘s treats rotation.Amongst so many other properties, mangoes contain:
- A: Keeps the ’s heart, lungs, and kidneys healthy.
- Vitamins B5, B6: Promote healthy blood vessels, nerves, and immune systems.
- Vitamins C, K: Help with the absorption of iron, immune system, wound healing, and healthy cartilage and bone mineralization.
- E: Supports the immune system and helps cells regenerate.
- Potassium: Helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signals.
- Magnesium: Promotes heart health, muscle function, and bone strength.
- Fiber: Helps keep chickens full and aids their digestion.
How Often Should Chickens Eat ?
While your chickens can get a fully balanced simply by eating a good quality , providing , vegetables, or to your chickens as a treat can be beneficial for their health. A variation in their will provide boosts of that specific nutrient, like omega-3 in flax , high protein in game bird feed, or a range of vitamins for mangos for example.
When it comes to how much and how often you should feed your chickens , just like with any type of treat or table scrap, it’s best to always be conservative. Although a small amount of could be healthy every day for your chickens, I would stick to once or twice a week in normal amounts.
After all, fresh and vegetables, , and other should be considered a treat for your chickens, and shouldn’t constitute more than about 10-15% of your chicken’s daily . So although mangos, beets, melons, apples, berries, eggplant, etc. are all packed with tons of nutrients, a balanced approach is best.
Mangoes are on the high-end of content. Sure, a little will boost chickens’ energy, but it’s best to give them mangoes in small quantities. Too much could lead them to become overweight and unhealthy, which, in turn, will lead to a drop in their production and wellbeing.
Things to Remember When Feeding Mangoes to Your Chickens
skins and leaves contain a compound called urushiol, the same substance found in poison ivy. This may cause an allergic reaction to some chickens, and in high amounts can cause skin issues and other complications.
For this reason, always avoid feeding your chickens the leaves as it contains high amounts of urushiol. skins contain much less, so just as a precaution feed your chickens a small amount to begin with and watch for any reactions, especially skin allergies around their mouths.
Always choose soft, , whose flesh and skins will be tasty and easy for the chickens to eat and digest. If the mangoes are unripe, their skins may taste too sour or bitter, but the chickens will simply avoid the skin at this point.
If your mangoes are store-bought, always give them a scrub to wash away any pesticide residue on their skins. It’s a plus if the mangoes are organically grown so you won’t need to worry about this.
Chickens can eat the too but tend to only do so on unripe mangoes since they’re soft. They may even be beneficial for your chicken’s health, but it’s certainly not unsafe.
When you’re feeding your chickens , you can choose to simply cut it in half or quarters. Just be sure to cut it open for your chickens so they can go straight for the flesh. A is easier and better than a whole for your chooks.
In A Nutshell
So, chickens can eat and it’s certainly a very healthy treat to add to their rotation. Chickens can even eat if it’s ripe, and it will provide the same great nutrients.
Just be sure to remove any leaves before starting the feeding frenzy, as it contains high amounts of urushiol which can cause allergies and complications.