Skip to content
Home » Pets & Wildlife

Do chickens eat zucchini? Here is everything you need to know.

Do chickens eat zucchini

Yes – chickens can definitely eat zucchini.

As a flock owner, you don’t have to limit your chicken’s diet to worms and pellets. There are plenty of treats that you can feed your chickens, and zucchini is one of them. 

Zucchinis are also a healthy food item for chickens as it contains multiple vitamins and minerals, contains high water content, and is rich in fiber. Apart from other vegetables like carrots, broccoli, celery leaves, etc., zucchini is also considered a healthy treat for your flock. 

Zucchini, also known as courgette, has added benefits and works as a natural dewormer for the chicken. Zucchinis contain a lesser amount of cucurbitacin that helps to eliminate the worms from their bodies. 

Do Chickens Like Zucchini?

Yes – chickens like zucchini because of its rich flavor.

Zucchini has a somewhat sweet and bitter taste which chickens love to feed on. The bitter taste completely goes away once you cook the zucchinis. Chickens can eat zucchini, both raw and cooked; but I recommend cooking it. Since heat eliminates the bitterness, your flock will quickly munch the delicious zucchini.

You can feed chickens both zucchini flesh and seeds, which they will enjoy equally. So if you’ve a lot of zucchini stocked up from your backyard garden, don’t feel overwhelmed; your chickens would enjoy eating them. Zucchinis also have multiple health benefits, and it is filled with healthy vitamins so that you can give them to your chickens guilt-free. 

Can Chickens Eat Zucchini Leaves?

This is a recurrent question that often comes to the flock owner’s mind, especially when they are feeding them fruits and vegetables

The answer here is yes. Chickens can eat zucchini leaves. Fruits and vegetable leaves often contain toxins that prove to be harmful to chickens and other flocks. However, that is not the case with zucchini plants. 

Can Chickens Have Zucchini Seeds and Peel
You can cut the zucchini to easily feed it to your chickens

Can Chickens Have Zucchini Seeds and Peel?

Yes – your chickens are allowed to have zucchini seeds and peel.

The zucchini seeds do not contain any harmful toxins and are completely safe for poultry. Zucchini seeds are one of the favorite parts, your hens love to feed on. You can simply split open the zucchini and give them to the chickens. 

The zucchini peels are also safe for the chickens, and they love eating the soft fleshy peels. So from now on, instead of throwing your zucchini peels, you can feed them to your chickens. 

Can Baby Chicks Eat Zucchini?

NO – it is better not to give baby chicks zucchini.

Green vegetables like cucumber or zucchini can cause diarrhea. Chicks can’t digest the seeds, flesh, and peels of such vegetables; therefore, it is better not to give baby chicks zucchini. 

Chickens can eat vegetables like zucchini only when they get older, and their digestive system is able to process these food items. Some of the recommended things to feed the baby chicks are oatmeal, cracked corn, wheat, fat-free meat, etc,. Make sure that the food you are giving the chicks is well cooked and softened as they won’t be able to break them down into small pieces. If necessary, you can give the food after grinding them in a food processor. 

What Is the Best Way to Feed Your Chickens Zucchini
My chickens absolutely love zucchini

What Is the Best Way to Feed Your Chickens Zucchini?

It is quite easy to feed zucchini to your backyard chickens.

You simply split open the zucchini and give it to the chickens. Giving them this way will be easier for chickens to feed on the seeds and the inner flesh. 

If the zucchinis are bitter tasting, you may cook them to make the zucchini taste sweeter before feeding. 

Zucchinis should be an occasional treat for your chickens. Feeding this summer squash regularly to your flock might cause health risks. Your flock’s diet should contain moderation, so it’s better to avoid feeding them zucchinis regularly. 

If the zucchini tastes more bitter, it indicates the presence of cucurbitacin in the zucchini plant. In such a case, you should instantly stop feeding them zucchinis, including both the flesh and zucchini leaves. Zucchini is a part of the Cucurbitaceae, so it is no surprise that some zucchini might contain cucurbitacin and cause a bitter taste. 

Is Zucchini Good for Chickens?

Yes, zucchini is good for chickens.

Zucchinis, like most vegetables, are a good source of nutrients. It contains numerous healthy compounds like vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and lots of water which helps in their digestion. 

Zucchinis contain almost 95% of water, and it helps them with their dehydration. But as also mentioned above, you should avoid feeding chickens zucchini in excess, and feeding them once weekly is considered safe.

Share this post on social!
nv-author-image

Carlos Warren

Growing up in Texas, I was fascinated by the world of science and invention, thanks in large part to my father's work at Dow Chemical Company. However, my true passion lay in the natural world, and I became an expert in organic gardening and composting at a young age. I spent hours studying the microbiological communities in our family garden, using a microscope to define the quality of the soil. My love for farming and gardening led me to explore new techniques and methods, constantly pushing the boundaries of what was possible.