Can chickens eat grass and Grass Clippings?

Part by part

• YesShort living grassYoung, tender plants are valuable (Alabama Extension).
• In moderationClippingsShort and fresh only; no pesticide-treated lawns.
• NoLong, tough grassImpaction risk.

Why

Alabama Extension says young, tender plants are valuable and lawn clippings can be fed as green chop if no pesticides were recently applied. University of Kentucky says chickens can't digest old, fibrous plants. University of Maryland lists grass among materials that can impact the crop.

How to serve grass and Grass Clippings

• Let birds graze short grass
• Offer only short, fresh clippings in small amounts

Be careful with

• Never clippings from chemically treated lawns
• Don't let clippings heat up or mold

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