Yes. Chickens can eat popcorn. Chickens are omnivores and scavengers. They’ve been nicknamed ‘trash cans’. This means that they can feed on absolutely anything they can find. One of the major ways to care for your chickens is by taking care of what they eat. 

What should your chickens eat? What should they eat in minimal quantities? And what should they not eat at all?

The table below is a sure guide to help you.

Chickens can eat popcorn. Popcorn contains nutrients that are good for chickens. However, popcorn can only be fed to your chickens in moderation. 

Below is a table that talks about the nutritional data of popcorn.

Nutritional Table For Popcorn.

100 g of popcorn – 387 calories

3 cups of popcorn (24g) – 93 calories

Interesting Facts About Popcorn.

• Popcorn is very healthy. A cup of popcorn contains 31 calories per serving compared to a cup of potato chips containing 139 calories per serving. This makes it a very healthy snack.
• This snack is allergen-free. You can snack on popcorn even if you’re intolerant to gluten.
• Popcorn is a whole grain snack. It contains fiber and antioxidants. New research shows that the fiber present in popcorn is enough to cover up a day’s worth of fruit and vegetables.
• Unpopped corn kernels that remain at the bottom of the bowl after the other kernels have been polled are referred to as ‘old maid’.
• Each tiny kernel of corn contains a certain amount of water. When the water reaches a certain temperature, it turns to steam, and the kernel pops. This means water makes popcorn – pop.
• A single cup of unpopped popcorn contains about One thousand, six hundred kernels. These Kernels can pop up as high as three feet.
• An average American consumes thirty-eight quarts of popcorn. Times this by the whole population in America, you’ll have about seventeen billion quarts – huge!
• Of all the states, Nebraska is the largest producer of popcorn. This snack is over five thousand years old. The first microwave popcorn was made in 1945.
• In the early 1900s, popcorn was banned from cinemas. This was a result of too much popcorn dirtying the floors.
• During the second world war, Americans began consuming three times the normal amount of popcorn as a result of their sugar shortage.
• The amount of heat needed for a kernel to pop is about forty degrees Fahrenheit. A kernel can pop as large as three times its original size.
• It is wrong to keep unpopped kernels in the fridge. Refrigeration makes it lose its moisture.
• Popcorn is officially the state snack of Illinois. The 19th of January is world popcorn day.
• One man made a world record when he ate 40 popcorn kernels while upside down in one minute. His name is Johnny B.
• The number one world-selling popcorn is Orville Redenbacher.
• American vendors started to sell popcorn at carnivals in the late nineteenth century.
• The first popcorn machine was invented in 1885 by Charles Cretors. About 100 grams of air-popped corn has about 13 grams Of protein.
• The largest expansion of the popcorn kernel when polled is about thirty times its original size.
• In the early years of popcorn discovery, hot sand was used to make the kernels pop instead of stoves and microwaves.
• Native Americans make beer and soup out of popcorn. It takes three cups of popcorn to get a full serving of protein.
• The world’s largest ball of popcorn was about twelve feet in diameter and weighed about five thousand pounds.
• In the late 15th century, popcorn was introduced to the Europeans by Christopher Columbus.
• The term used to refer to the percentage of poled kernels is called ‘pop ability’.
• Movie theaters make more profit from selling popcorn than from movie tickets.

Can My Chickens Eat Popcorn?

Yes. Chickens can eat Popcorn. It is okay for them to feed or snack on it from time to time.

What You Should Know About Popcorn.

Pure popcorn is good for chickens. However, popcorn has to be given to chickens in moderation. If you’re going to chicken feed with popcorn, ensure it lacks salt, flavorings, and sugar and it is purely popped just as it is. 

Giving chickens salted popcorn simply means getting too much sodium into their diet and it is going to be disastrous for them. Sugared and flavored popcorn will cause digestive unrest and diarrhea too. Popcorn should only be fed to chickens in moderation and with a chicken feeder.

Benefits Of Popcorn To Chickens.

• The fiber content of popcorn prevents feather pecking and aids the easy passage of excreta.
• Popcorn is lightweight and prevents your chickens from taking in too many calories.
• The low-fat content prevents your chickens from adding on excess weight.

In summary

Popcorn is good for chickens. Chickens can eat popcorn as long as it is unsalted, lacks sugar, flavoring, and other additives. Popcorn should be fed to chickens only in moderation. Please check out our complete starter guide on raising backyard chickens, it’s sure to expand your knowledge.