Can Chickens Eat Cabbage

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can chickens eat cabbage

Can chickens eat cabbage? It’s green, it’s full of vitamins, so why not? You can unquestionably feed your chickens cabbage as treats! The diet you provide for your feathered pets is utterly important. You want your chickens to be happy, energetic and, most importantly, grant you your very own delicious egg production! This is one of the greatest perks of being a chicken owner – getting the chance to enjoy fresh, nutritive eggs daily! Thus, the diet you choose to offer them is highly significant as well as the supplementary treats.

Can Chickens Eat Cabbage and How Much?

can chickens eat cabbage

You may feed your chickens the whole cabbage. It’s loaded with vitamins such as K, C, B6, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium and powerful natural antioxidants. Your chickens will have a blast while pinching at the greenish cabbage and it is a healthy, nutritive treat that will significantly improve their overall health. It’s pretty much a win-win situation!

So, choosing to spoil your feathered pets with some cabbage leaves is a great idea!

Feeding Your Chickens Proper Food Portions

The portions you feed your chickens with should be formulated according to their age. It’s never a good idea to feed your pets extremely large food portions, or a great amount of treats as it may lead to imminent obesity issues. And, do bear in mind – fat chickens are not happy chickens! And most importantly, they’re definitely not healthy!

In order to avoid obesity issues from further occurring, steer clear of the temptation of feeding your chickens too much! Of course you take pleasure in pampering them, but you have to put their health first! Apart from this, it can also be a drain in your budget feeding your feathered pets enormous food amounts.

Concurrently, consider providing your chickens with appropriate food portions according to their age for twice or thrice a day. Read the label attentively if you choose to feed your chickens with commercially prepared foods in order to ensure yourself they meet the needs of your flock.

Sunlight and Soil

 If you want to benefit from tasty, healthful eggs, it is crucial to offer your feathered pets the liberty of exploring the surroundings. To make this happen, you may consider installing a fence in the proximity of the coop, so that your chickens may enjoy the natural rays of the sun. The sun is the factor which contributes to the egg production aspect, and take part in some digging activity which they relish immensely.

Chickens and Obesity – a Real Problem

As I already mentioned, irresponsible dieting may lead to obesity which can harm your chickens in a lot of ways. I can shorten their life expectancy greatly. Thus, spoiling your backyard chickens is not such a good idea as most of the times they end up getting fat and imminently ill. So, get acquainted with the hazardous consequences obesity might have on your chickens’ health!

Chickens’ Life Expectancy

Nowadays, chickens live longer than your grandma’s chickens would live. Thanks to the amount of information available, every chicken owner can inform himself/herself with regard to a proper  and adequate diet. Thus ensuring their chickens have a higher life expectancy.

Chickens are mostly chosen as pets, secondly for their egg production which comes as a beneficial perk, and seldom for their meet. According to a 2004 study by the United States Department of Agriculture, 69 percent of backyard chicken-keepers indicated that they kept chickens primarily as a hobby. Backyard chickens may live around 8 years.

Your chickens’ life expectancy depends mostly on their diet and their possibility of engaging themselves in exercise. Yes. That’s right. Exercise is the key to a healthy life – not only for humans, but for your backyard chickens also.

Lots of Exercise!

It’s quite common for chicken owners to enclose their flock, mostly because of safety issues, as well as other problems. And that’s okay; you have to make the appropriate safety measures for your flock. However, you must make sure to provide your chickens with space to explore and dig as they please! If they sit around all day eating, then your chicken party will become obese in no time.

Too Many Treats!

If you feed your flock prepared portions, the odds are that you should limit the amount of treats; they are healthy and they’re fine fed in moderation. Spoiling your feathered pets irresponsibly will lead to obesity.

The Deadly Danger of Obesity: Heat Stroke and Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome

Besides causing infertility, oversized eggs and prolapsed vent, obesity can lead to deadly conditions such as heat stroke and fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome. It’s no joke that overeating can harm your chickens immensely!

Too much fat may determine your hen to suffer from heat stroke, especially in summertime and she may die in just a couple of minutes, being unable to breathe correspondingly.

 

Related articles:

Can Chickens Eat Celery

Can Chickens Eat Pumpkin

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=19

http://www.tillysnest.com/2011/11/what-can-chickens-eat.html

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/12/chickens-obesity-silent-killer-how-to.html

http://thefrugalchicken.com/what-to-feed-your-chickens-for-better-tasting-eggs/

http://www.denverext.colostate.edu/backyardchickens.html

 

 

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