Can chickens eat avocado?

Part by part

• NoSkin, pit/seed, leavesMerck: leaves are the most toxic part; fruit, stems and seeds are also implicated.
• NoFleshSources conflict: Purina and Grubbly Farms say the flesh is fine; Merck, University of Illinois vets, UF/IFAS and Fresh Eggs Daily advise avoiding it.

Why

The toxic principle is persin. Merck says birds are at greatest risk, with signs including lethargy, labored breathing, loss of appetite, swelling of the neck and chest, heart damage and death; it says caged birds seem more susceptible than chickens and turkeys, which seem more resistant, but elsewhere lists chickens and turkeys as susceptible. University of Illinois vets say all parts are toxic to (pet) birds.

Watch out for persin. If a bird may have eaten a lot of it and seems unwell, call a veterinarian who treats poultry.

Be careful with

• Don't put avocado peels or pits in the scrap bucket
• There is no specific antidote; treatment is supportive (Merck)

The treat rules for every food

1. 1Scraps are not nutritionally balanced. Letting them displace complete feed can cause nutritional disorders and lower egg production; hens that fill up on treats can run short of calcium and draw it from their bones, weakening shells.
2. 2Never feed moldy, rotten or spoiled food. Molds can produce mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxin on corn, peanuts, nuts, rice) that harm poultry, and University of Kentucky notes mycotoxins remain even if visible mold is removed. Rotting food can also be a source of Clostridium botulinum (botulism, 'limberneck'). Stale or wilted (not moldy) produce and bread are generally considered fine.
3. 3Avoid very salty, sugary, fatty, fried or heavily processed human food (chips, fast food, candy, heavily salted leftovers). Merck notes salt above about 2% of the diet is usually considered dangerous for poultry, that birds under 21 days old are more susceptible, and that restricted water access makes salt problems worse.
4. 4Provide insoluble grit (granite grit or small stones) whenever chickens eat whole grains, scratch, seeds or forage; birds that can reach the ground usually find their own. Oyster shell is a calcium source, not grit (it is too soft). Birds eating only a complete pelleted feed do not need grit.

All 10 rules · How much feed they need