Can Chickens Eat Leafy Greens?

Just like with any animal that is in your care, a flock of chickens and their diet should be of the utmost importance. It’s not uncommon to wonder if these birds can eat fruits and vegetables. Many types of leafy greens are safe for chicken consumption and often provide them with a plethora of important vitamins and minerals. 

Today, we’re going to be discussing which leafy greens they can have and how much is safe. 

How Much Do Chickens Need to Eat?

While free-range chickens will forage all around your yard, all types of domestic poultry will require a variety of foods to meet their nutrition needs. There are certain factors such as gender and age that play a role in how much a chicken can eat. 

On average, a mature chicken will eat roughly a quarter-pound of food per day. With chickens, you can provide a little extra, especially when they’re young. Chicks have the astonishing ability to not get fat when they are fed the proper food, even if they overeat. 

They typically consume an ounce or two of food per day. 

Feeding Chickens Leafy Greens 

If your flock is used to eating commercial feed, there is a special way to introduce leafy greens into their diet. Allowing your chicken to eat certain vegetables can cut back on costs if you grow them yourself. 

You can replace roughly 20% of their diet with greens. They will still need to eat mostly feed in order to get enough protein. Here are some of the main leafy greens that these animals adore! 

• Lettuce
• Endive
• Carrot tops 
• Parsnip
• Fennel
• Dill
• Parsley
• Coriander

There are leafy greens that can be toxic or cause potential health problems within your flock. Avoid rhubarb and tomato vines to avoid unwanted trips to the specialty vet. That being said, there are also leafy greens that you’ll want to feed with caution. 

These in excess can cause issues. The main problem with the following greens comes when they are in seed or juvenile form. Many of these can be given to your flock when the plants are fully mature. 

• Broccoli leaf
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Radish tops
• Swiss chard
• Spinach
• Beetroot 
• Turnips roots
• Cauliflower leaf

Final Thoughts

There are plenty of tasty and nutritious leafy greens that chickens can eat. Growing these yourself is a great way to save money, have organic vegetables for your family, and add variety to your chicken’s diet.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © B Brown/Shutterstock.com