Chickens are omnivores, meaning that they can eat both animal protein and plants. If you own chickens, you know that they will attempt to eat just about anything they come across, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they should be eating it. Certain herbs can make great additions to your chickens’ diet, so what about cilantro?
Cilantro is a safe and nutritious herb for chickens to eat, offering vitamins and antioxidants. It can be fed to them in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Chickens generally enjoy the taste of cilantro, and it can be a healthy addition to their regular feed.
If you’re considering adding cilantro to your chickens’ diet, here is a little more information on how to safely feed your chickens’ cilantro.
Is it Safe for Chicken to Eat Cilantro? Should Your Chicken Have it?
Cilantro is a great herb. It has many properties, such as vitamins A, C, and K. It is also a very antioxidant-rich herb that has low sugar and calorie count. Your chickens can also get benefits from the seeds of cilantro. Cilantro seeds have anti-parasitic properties.
It is indeed safe for your chickens to eat cilantro, and you can see many benefits from feeding it to your chickens. You can use it as a supplement to help promote a healthy immune system in your chicks. Cilantro is an appealing treat for your chickens.
You should consider giving your chickens cilantro early on in their development. The nutrients in cilantro promote healthy bone growth. What sets cilantro apart from other herbs that your chickens can eat is that there isn’t anything in it that can be harmful to your chickens.
Cilantro can become a frequent addition to your chickens’ diet with no negative effects on the health of your flock.
Chickens also love the flavor of cilantro, it is one of those additives to their diet that your chickens will be hard-pressed to say no to.
What to Look Out for When Feeding Chicken with Cilantro
While cilantro may be one of the best herbs to feed your chickens, there are still things that you should keep in mind to safely and correctly feed your chickens’ cilantro. You always want to be sure that any additions to their diet result in your chickens being happy and healthy. As a general rule, cilantro and other herbs should only account for around 10% of your chickens’ diet. Any more than that and your chicken may face nutritional deficiencies in other areas.
If you are purchasing cilantro from the store, be sure to fully wash it before giving it to your chickens. You want to make sure that any traces of pesticides or bacteria have been removed. If you are feeding your chickens cilantro that is from your garden, give your plants a good rinse before letting your chickens pick at it.
This article was first published on December 15, 2021 by Pentagon-Pets.
When feeding cilantro to your chickens’ feed, don’t let it sit out for more than a day. You don’t want the leaves to begin to rot. Then you risk having your chickens get sick. Cilantro in large amounts can cause stomach cramps, which is why you need to be sure to treat it as an added nutrient and not your entire diet. Chickens require a balanced diet to stay healthy.
Can Chickens Eat Cilantro Plants?
Cilantro plants are hardy herbs that are easy to grow. Many people choose to either let their chickens near cilantro plants or even place potted cilantro plants in their chickens’ coop.
Chickens can eat cilantro plants. The entire plant is safe for them to consume. When feeding your chickens’ cilantro, you can either let them have access to live cilantro or, if it’s getting to the end of the growing season, you can uproot the entire plant and feed it to your chickens.
The great thing about providing your chickens with growing cilantro plants is that cilantro can be eaten daily. You just need to be sure that your chickens are getting their regular feed and additional proteins and vegetation.
Chickens can even eat the seeds of cilantro. The seeds offer different nutritional benefits than the rest of the plant, one of which is that it gives your chicken anti-parasitic properties. With how susceptible chicks are to parasites, adding cilantro seeds to their diet can be a natural way to fight off parasites.
Can Chickens Eat Cilantro Stems?
It may come as a surprise, but the stems of the cilantro plant offer a surprising nutritional value. The stems have a higher concentration of antioxidants, meaning that it can be a great way to keep your chickens healthy.
Chickens can, and will happily eat cilantro stems. The stems of the cilantro plant pose no risk to your chickens’ health. Quite the opposite, giving your chickens cilantro stems can help them ward off diseases. Feeding them stems can also be a great way to eliminate food scraps.
Chickens will happily break down stems that you don’t use in your kitchen.
Can Chickens Eat Cilantro Leaves?
When it comes to cilantro, the most nutritional part is the leaves of the plant. The leaves are packed with the most vitamins and nutrients. The leaves, like the rest of the cilantro plant, are also low-calorie and low-sugar.
Chickens can eat cilantro leaves, they can eat the entire plant safely and gain plenty of nutritional benefits. Cilantro leaves can be chopped and added to your chickens’ feed or any other safe treat that you are feeding your chickens. You can also let your chickens pick the leaves directly off a live plant.
Pentagon Pet is the owner of this article that was first published on December 15, 2021.
When feeding your chickens cilantro leaves, you want to ensure that they are fresh and properly cleaned. If the leaves are getting close to dying or have not been properly washed, you risk causing your chickens to fall ill.
On average, cilantro that is stored in your fridge should last around 3 weeks.
Can Chickens Eat Cooked Cilantro?
While cilantro is able to be served cooked or raw, oftentimes cooking can diminish some of the nutritional levels. Cilantro is also a very delicate herb and cooking it can be difficult.
Your chickens can eat cooked cilantro, but be careful how you cook it. If you are adding in any sort of fat or oil, your chickens shouldn’t be eating it. Chickens require a diet that is low in fat to prevent health issues. One way to cook cilantro is to spread it out in an oven or dehydrator.
Dried cilantro can be used to sprinkle over your chickens’ feed. While you lose some of the nutrition, your chickens will still get some of the benefits and enjoy the flavor.
Can Chicken Eat Cilantro? Is it Safe?
Chickens can eat cilantro and they love it. It also provides a great set of nutrients to promote bone health and strengthen their immune system. Cilantro can be introduced to your chicks early on to help strengthen their overall growth. It is also an easy herb to introduce as chickens like the flavor.
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This article and its contents are owned by Pentagon Pets and was first published on December 15, 2021.