Can Chickens Eat Cabbage?

This is a common question among chicken farmers, can chickens eat cabbage? The answer to that is yes, chickens can eat cabbages.

Cabbages are one of the most nutritious feeds for your chickens. They are highly stuffed with a great number of vitamins and are also a rich source of minerals for your chickens.

To give you greater clarity on what a chicken can eat or cannot eat, we refer you to the table below;

Nutritional Stats For Cabbage

The cabbage is a reservoir of nutrients. It boasts some very important nutrients in impressive quantities. Laid down below is a tabular representation of the nutritional statistics of the cabbage for easy reference.

Nutrition as in a cup (89 gram) of cabbage.

*Here RDI means ‘Reference Daily Intake’ which is a cup (89 gram) of cabbage.

Cabbages are also a mine for some very impressive micronutrients such as Vitamin A, Iron, and Riboflavin. Riboflavin in particular is essential for normal cell growth and function. It is also a very important nutrient needed for cellular respiration. The cabbage is also a rich source of antioxidants with polyphenols and sulfur compounds. All these and more are essentials for your chicken populace.

Can Baby Chickens Eat Cabbage?

Can baby chickens eat cabbage? Yes, they can. To be precise, baby chickens need cabbages. Cabbages contain riboflavin in generous quantities. Riboflavins are copiously essential for healthy normal cell growth and functions, therefore, your chickens will love you for helping skip a step away from certain chicken diseases and skewed legs.

Moreover, not only does the cabbage provide your young chicks with protein, but it also aids their body to produce Collagen the most important protein in their body. This ensures the smooth and healthy running of their body system fighting against normal chicken diseases and ailments.

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive guide on raising backyard chickens we have a complete resource blog post dedicated to that.

Can Chickens Eat Too Much Cabbages?

As much as chickens love cabbages and it is immensely beneficial to them, moderation is still needed in feeding them it. Cabbages when consumed in excess by chickens can cause diarrhea. It is advised that before feeding cabbages to your chickens that you feed them the normal layer feeds beforehand and be sure to use your chicken feeder.

Therefore, to answer the question; can chickens eat too much cabbage? Yes, they can. Moderation is needed.

How To Feed Cabbage To Chickens

There are two major ways to feed cabbage to chickens that we are going to outline here. However, it must first be mentioned that there is no hard and fast rule on how to feed your chickens with cabbages.

Notwithstanding, for the purpose of this article we are going to outline two very convenient and cheap ways to feed cabbages to your chickens. These methods are very efficient;

• You can decide to hang it on a sturdy thread or rope above the chickens’ heads for them to peck at. However, this works best if the cabbage is being fed to old layers or cockerels rather than with young or baby chicks.

For ‘DO It Yourself’ purposes we are going to outline how you can set about to achieve this.

1. Drill a sizeable hole through the cabbage you want to feed your chickens.
2. Run a rope or sturdy thread through the hole you bore
3. Hang it low so that it is easily reachable to the chickens.
4. Ensure the ropes are held tightly so that the cabbage will not fall on the chickens.

Also

• You can grill the cabbages to smaller bits to make them easily consumable for the chickens. This is especially so for baby chickens. When the cabbage is cut and grilled to smaller pea-sized bits, it reduces the haggles the chicks or chickens need to go through to consume them.

What Vegetables Can Chickens Eat?

Almost every type and kind of vegetable are edible for chickens. Chickens can eat a variety of vegetables, whether boiled or raw.

Detailed below are vegetables your chickens can consume without fear of adverse effects;

Your chicken can eat

1. Napa cabbages (Chinese cabbages)
2. Broccoli
3. Carrots (cooked or shredded raw)
4. Cabbage
5. Chard
6. Cucumbers
7. Kale
8. Lettuce
9. Sweet potatoes
10. Tomatoes
11. Pumpkins
12. Squash
13. Spinach

These are some of the most important vegetables your chickens will appreciate you getting for them. They are extra-nutritious and health-boosting for your chickens.

Interesting Facts About Cabbages

• There are more than four hundred (400) varieties of cabbages out there.
• Cabbage originated from the Shensi Province of China around six thousand years ago, (6000).
• Cabbage is the first cultivated vegetable.
• Cabbage is a beauty potion for healthier skin, hair, and nails.
• Cabbage like other cruciferous veggies has been scientifically proven to drastically reduce the chance of developing cancer.

In Summary

Can chickens eat cabbage? Yes, they can. As outlined here already, it does not take an IQ of five hundred (500), to understand that cabbage is essential for your chickens. Your chickens will love it when cabbages are fed to them. Not only does it excite them, but it also nourishes and boosts their immune system in a way many other feeds won’t be able to. Cabbages provide essential nutrients that can protect your chickens from contracting some nasty crippling chicken diseases. Make sure to start now to feed your chickens with cabbages, as they can eat them, and remember to do so with moderation.