Who doesn’t relish a crunchy bar of delicious chocolate? It’s sweet, flavorful and makes coffee time so more enjoyable. You simply love it. But, will your feathered pet love it too? Can chickens eat chocolate? And the answer to that question is no, they can’t. Even though you simply love chocolate, you should steer clear of feeding it to your pets. And this article will explain exactly why.
Can Chickens Eat Chocolate? Why Not?
The reason why it is not advisable to feed your feathered buddies chocolate treats is that it can turn out being a poisonous meal for them. Their taste buds are unable to feel the sweetness of any sort of candy, so the odds are they won’t realize they’re eating chocolate. Additionally, chocolate consists of a certain type of toxin – called “methylxanthines theobromine”, which is utterly lethal for chickens to consume.
Consequently, regardless of how much you enjoy chocolate yourself, refrain from feeding it to your feathered buddies! They might eat it because they’re not picky eaters, but it might be extremely detrimental for their overall health.
What To Feed Chickens At Different Ages
If you’re a chicken owner, besides getting acquainted with suitable, healthy treats your pets would truly enjoy, you also ought to determine a well-balanced, equilibrated diet which is suitable for their age. This is significantly important because chickens require distinct dietary needs according to their age. Therefore, make sure to inform yourself correspondingly in order to meet your favorite pets’ dietary needs! Read along!
Commercially Prepared Rations
Commercially prepared rations are meant to fit the exact requirements which are indispensable for maintaining the health of your feathered pets. Poultry nutritionists aim at developing high-quality products which completely incorporate the daily amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals your chickens need.
The addition of healthy treats in your chickens’ diet is a positive idea. It is a way of preventing your pets from boredom and also, why not – let’s admit it, because it’s really fun to keep an eye out for their funny behavior when they receive new, interesting snacks! However, bear in mind that you should steer clear of feeding them too many snacks, it could imbalance their diet and can also lead to overeating.
Homemade Food Blends – Not Always a Good Idea
If you wish your chickens to be equally healthy and energetic, the key to achieving this is the diet you provide them with. You should know that improper amounts of different sorts of ingredients might be harmful for the development of your pets, especially if you are not quite experienced in this area.
If you want to mix food rations yourself, you need to possess a proper nutritional poultry knowledge to help you bring the proper portions of ingredients together. Bear in mind that inaccurate food portions will inevitably lead to health problems such as digestive upset, decreased egg production and toxicities. Therefore, don’t take your chickens’ health for granted and take responsible, accountable decisions! Educate yourself with regard to the best foods for your chickens and you will be a pro in no time!
The Age Factor When Feeding Your Chickens
If you’re planning of enlarging your flock and you wish to own both hens and growing chicks, you’ll have to make sure to provide them with their specific dietary requirements. It may be quite complicated at first, but you just have to keep in mind the number of important guidelines
It is best to try isolating the younger chicks from the adult ones. Younger chicks require from 18 to 20% starter ration while adult chickens should eat just layer feed. The two different kinds of foods are to meet each chicken’s age and requirements.
If you keep growing chickens and laying hens in the same coop, an additional calcium supplement might be in order. Most commercially prepared rations embody the right amount of calcium for egg production, however the starter rations do not.
As egg production depends almost entirely upon calcium, it is utterly significant that your chickens are provided with proper amount of this mineral. If not, they will extract the calcium from their own body which, in the long run will be detrimental to their health. In this view, layer rations are supposed to meet the nutritive and mineral needs of laying hens. However, layer rations are not appropriate for young chicks, as their body requires smaller calcium intake. The increased amount of calcium can have harmful consequences, thus causing skeletal problems to the growing chicken.
Therefore, it is needless to say that the key to the proper development of your feathered pets is a well-balanced diet, chosen carefully in accordance to the chickens’ age. Don’t overlook this focal aspect and your growing flock will be equally healthy and happy.
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References:
http://readynutrition.com/resources/10-foods-you-should-not-feed-your-chickens_09022014/
http://thefrugalchicken.com/feeding-chickens-different-ages/
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