Can Chickens Eat Cucumbers & Cucumber Peels?

We all know that fruits and vegetables are healthy for us. Cucumber is well known as a healthy, nutritious food for humans.

But can chickens eat cucumbers and more importantly should they eat them?

Let’s have a look.

Is it safe for chickens to eat cucumber?

Yes, it is safe. Chickens can eat cucumbers, cucumber peel, and cucumber seeds.

They can also safely eat cucumber leaves and cucumber vines but they are nowhere near as tasty.

Many farmers spray vegetables with fertilizers and pesticides so make sure you wash your cucumbers under cold running water.

Fresh cucumbers are best. Never feed your chickens moldy foods. If you wouldn’t eat it don’t feed it to your chickens.

Any cucumbers that are left behind should not be left to rot in their coop. A rotting cucumber could attract pests.

Are cucumbers good for chickens?

Absolutely. Cucumbers are beneficial to your birds’ health.

Cucumbers provide vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin K, folic acid, along with minerals like copper, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. Cucumbers are also full of antioxidants that are beneficial to your chickens.

Cucumber seeds contain a lot of the amino acid cucurbitine which may have deworming properties.

Do chickens like cucumbers?

Yes! Chickens eat cucumber enthusiastically! They might not always eat the skin but they love the flesh and the seeds.

In this test, 10/10 chickens preferred cucumber over squash or zucchini.

Chickens will readily eat cucumbers which is a good sign that they like them!

How to feed your chickens cucumber?

Slicing the cucumbers in half lengthwise to expose the soft flesh will make it easier for your chickens to peck away.

Don’t just throw a whole cucumber, it’s much more interesting to chickens if your cucumber has been sliced open.

Chickens will try to steal the cucumber from each other, you might want to slice up the cucumber into smaller pieces so everyone can get their share and not just the most dominant hens.

You can also hang cucumbers up with string to prepare them for chickens. A cucumber tetherball provides good entertainment for chickens and their keepers!

Can you feed your chickens too many cucumbers?

Yes. Chickens should only be consuming cucumbers in moderation.

Supplemental foods like cucumbers should only be a fraction of your chickens’ diet. Excessive treats are never a good idea, in humans or chickens!

A good chicken feed should make up the majority of your chicken’s diet. Treats and food scraps should only make up 10% of your chickens’ daily diet.

Sometimes chicken keepers wonder why they are seeing reduced egg production, feather picking, lackluster plumage, malformed eggs, and in-fighting.

Too many treats like cucumber can sometimes be the cause. A diet high in watery foods upsets the flock’s nutrient balance.

Cucumbers don’t contain a lot of protein and protein deficiency can cause serious health problems.

The Verdict

Cucumbers are a treat for chickens! They love the flesh and seeds especially, but the whole cucumber is safe to eat along with cucumber vines and leaves.

Apply common sense, chickens can have cucumbers, but only as a small portion of their daily diet.

Cucumbers do have health benefits for chickens.

You should only feed chickens cucumbers in moderation and not at the expense of other nutrients.

If you don’t go overboard and begin relying on scrap foods alone then your adding some cucumbers will lead to happier, healthier chickens!