Can Chickens Eat Chickpeas?

Yes, chicken can eat chickpeas just like humans. But, as a poultry owner, you should be careful about not feeding them raw chickpeas.

You should serve cooked chickpeas to your flock. Raw or uncooked chickpeas can have adverse effects on their bodies.

Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans. Find out more about the type of chickpeas and other legume beans that you can feed chickens. Scroll down below to know more about the ill-effects of raw chickpeas on their bodies.

Are Chickpeas Good For Chickens?

Chickpea is a primary ingredient in different cuisines of the world for its amazing nutritional benefits. Just as chickpeas are common for human consumption, they can be added to poultry diets as well. Chickens love a diet of chickpeas, whole grains, most fruits, and plenty of fresh water.

But, just like many other legume plants, chickens should eat cooked chickpeas only. If you feed chickens raw chickpeas, it can prove to be potentially lethal. 

Here are some amazing health benefits of cooked chickpeas for chickens:

Protein

Protein helps repair, regulate, form, and protect the cells of all the vital parts of a chicken’s body. It boosts their immune system, regulates fluid balance, and also enhances the growth of feathers.

Chickpeas have a high amount of protein. Each 100g serving of cooked chickpeas has about 9g of protein (source). 

Lack of sufficient amounts of protein can lead to fluid retention and tissue shrinkage in chickens. Around 2 to 3 servings of boiled garbanzo beans or chickpeas can fulfill their daily protein requirement.

Sprouted or cooked garbanzo beans are rich in amino acids like lysine, isoleucine, and tryptophan. Lysine helps in the production of protein and retention of calcium in chickens. They can suffer from fatigue, anemia, or reproductive issues in the absence of lysine. 

Rich In Vitamins and Minerals

Chickpeas also contain many beneficial nutrients such as thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. 

Folate helps prevent loss of embryos. Feeding garbanzo beans to your flock will serve as a healthy snack for egg-laying hens. 

Cooked or sprouted chickpeas also contain minerals like copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese, sodium, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium (source). 

Rich In Dietary Fiber

Chickpeas contain high amounts of dietary fiber as well. Each 100g serving of boiled garbanzo beans contains 7.6g of fiber. These can aid in easy bowel movements in the digestive tract. Fiber also helps in lowering cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels. 

Can Chickens Eat Canned Chickpeas?

Canned chickpeas may contain added sugars and preservatives that can be bad in a poultry diet. It is better to prepare chickpeas at home as you can monitor the salt content and ensure that they are properly cooked.

It is best that chickens eat garbanzo beans and not raw beans. Chickens can eat roasted chickpeas as well. The heat treatment kills the anti-nutritional factors and protease inhibitors.

Can Chickens Have Raw Or Cooked Chickpeas?

Chickens enjoy chickpeas that are cooked properly. As a poultry owner, you should avoid raw chickpeas and other legumes that are not cooked.

Raw chickpeas pose a choking hazard on the chickens. Other legumes such as black beans, kidney beans, and other dried or raw beans should also be well cooked before your chickens eat them. Raw chickpeas have a toxin called aflatoxin and some amylase inhibitors that can harm their systems. 

Chickens should not be fed rotten food, dry beans, vegetables of the nightshade family and certain other foods that produce toxins. They cannot eat chocolate, sugary or salty foods as well. Uncooked beans and green potatoes have a toxin called solanine that is potentially harmful to their bodies.

If you are wondering whether chickens eat hummus, then the answer is yes. Chickens can eat any form of cooked chickpeas and hummus is a paste made with cooked chickpeas.

Do Chickens Like Dried Chickpeas?

Never let your chickens eat dried chickpeas. They have anti nutritional factors and can prove fatal to their health. Chickens’ chickpeas should be thoroughly boiled and cooked. You can add diverse chickpeas ranges to their high-quality commercial feed for best results. 

All In All: Can Chickens Eat Chickpeas?

Yes, chickens can eat chickpeas, but it should be boiled and cooked properly. You can feed chickens this legume as it enhances their overall egg production. The poultry industry adds boiled legumes along with soft fruits in chickens’ diets.

They can be fed boiled legumes as kitchen scraps or in good quantities in their growing diets. They can benefit from the high protein content in these beans along with other grains.