Can Chickens Eat Pomegranate?

Yes, chickens can eat pomegranates. In fact, you will find that chickens eat pomegranate seeds happily. This superfood can be given raw or mixed with other foods to make a great meal for your flock.

Both pomegranate seeds and the rind are highly nutritious for birds. This fruit is not toxic in any way. It is packed with good nutrition and makes a healthy snack for your flock. But how much pomegranate can you feed chickens?

Here is a low down on whether chickens can eat pomegranate seeds, fruit, and rind. We will also discuss the ideal quantities of pomegranate fruit that you can let chickens eat.

Can Chickens Eat Pomegranate?

Yes, as a poultry owner, you can feed pomegranate to chickens in any form. You can feed chickens pomegranate juice, pomegranate seeds, or pomegranate fruit in any other state. Even the rind is non-toxic and packed with good nutrition.

Pomegranate is an unusual fruit with a hard reddish rind and pockets of seeds inside called arils. This fruit is rich in calcium, iron, potassium, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals.

You can feed the pomegranate as a whole fruit with the rind. Chickens can eat the hard outer rind and the pomegranate fruit inside. If your chickens do not like the rind, you can remove the arils and feed them.

Is Pomegranate Good for Chickens? 

Pomegranate is a superfood packed with various minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, calcium, iron, and potassium. Chickens can eat pomegranates safely. As a chicken owner, you might be worried about feeding the seeds of this fruit to your flock, just like you cannot feed apple seeds to chickens.

But, there is no toxicity in pomegranate seeds. Pomegranate juice can keep your chickens hydrated in the summers. There are many essential nutrients in this fruit that provide ample health benefits.

Health Benefits of Pomegranate

Citrus fruits have high nutritional value. The various health benefits of feeding pomegranate to chickens are described below:

Boosts Digestive System

The high dietary fiber content in this fruit enables the food to move along the digestive tract smoothly, thereby boosting intestinal health. These fruits are like fiber balls with high nutritional value that benefits the overall health of your flock.

Helps Prevent Illness

Feeding pomegranates to chickens is a smart way to keep illnesses at bay. This fruit is power-packed with plentiful vitamin C, which helps ward off illnesses. This fruit should be fed to chickens during cold or rainy seasons to ward off illnesses. If you give chickens pomegranates to eat, they will recover more quickly from diseases.

Fights Free Radicals

If you feed pomegranate to your flock regularly, they can benefit from the high antioxidant content in this fruit. These antioxidants help fight free radicals that cause cell damage. 

Pomegranates are one of the healthiest fruits around. Ensure your chickens eat pomegranate to stay healthy and strong. Feeding pomegranates to flock once or twice a week can ward off serious health problems. They can benefit from the anti-inflammatory properties of this fruit. 

How to Feed Pomegranate to Chickens?

There are several ways of feeding pomegranate to chickens. You can make chickens eat pomegranate seeds, juice, or the whole fruit. 

Feeding pomegranate juice to chickens can be costly, so chicken owners give them the leftovers. But, as this fruit is very healthy, feeding pomegranates in very small quantities will add very little nutritional value to their meals.

It is ideal to feed this fruit mixed with other fruits or vegetables twice a week. You can also mix the seeds with brown rice, green beans, raw or cooked oats, sweet potatoes, or cooked beans and feed them regularly or as an occasional treat.

Mixing pomegranate with chia seeds or sunflower seeds makes a great superfood for your flock. Do not make an entire diet of pomegranate fruit as it lacks the essential proteins and carbohydrates your chickens need to grow. 

Which Foods Can Chickens Not Eat?

There are certain foods that chickens cannot eat. They are:

• Raw Beans

Raw beans contain a toxin called phytohaemagglutinin that can be very harmful to chickens.

• Coffee and Tea

Coffee and tea contain caffeine that can be bad for chickens. Ensure that there are no coffee grounds or used tea bags in their foraging area.

• Chocolate

Chocolate also contains caffeine that can be very bad for chickens. It can cause serious health issues in poultry and pet animals.

• High Sugar Foods

Chickens do not need sugar in their diet. Too much sugar can cause gastrointestinal issues in them.

• Salty Foods

Chickens do not need too much salt in their diet. If chickens eat too much salt, they may end up feeling very thirsty and drink too much water, leading to bloating and even death.

• (Green) Potatoes

Potatoes are often a debatable concept for poultry owners. Some feel that you can feed sparingly, while some feel these should not be included in chickens’ diet at all. 

Potatoes are a part of the nightshade family of vegetables. This group of vegetables contain a toxin called solanine, which is quite harmful for chickens. 

• Moldy Food

You should never feed your chickens moldy bread, moldy nuts, or any other moldy food as it may lead to serious health issues.

• Excess Fatty Food

Excess fat may lead to obesity in your flock and some health issues. Chickens do not need excess oil and fat content in their diets.

This is not the complete list and there are several other foods that you cannot feed chickens. This is a rough list of foods you may feel like feeding your birds every now and then.

Conclusion

To wrap it all up – chickens can eat pomegranate fruit. You can make your birds eat pomegranate as a whole fruit, just the seeds, or pomegranate juice. 

This citrus fruit has plentiful essential nutrients, and, when fed in moderation, it can ward off many health problems. Most chickens love to eat citrus fruits. 

It can be mixed with other fruits and fed to them in between meals. You can also mix just the seeds with quality commercial feeds to make a superfood blend.