Did you ever wonder if chickens can eat artichokes? Have they tried it before? Are they picky eaters and only want certain foods, or will they eat just about anything?
We love chickens, but didn’t know the first thing about them until we started raising some. So, we did a bit of research to find out more about these funky birds.
Chickens can eat artichokes, and it’s a good idea to feed them this vegetable on occasion. Artichokes are rich in potassium and vitamin C, which is great for chickens. They also contain fiber, which helps their digestion.
However, there are over 120 species, and we conducted a research only on few of them.
What is Artichoke?
Artichokes, which are related to thistles, have been grown and eaten since Roman times. The artichoke is valued for its aesthetic appeal as well as its nutritional value as a vegetable. With proper care and attention, the plant may grow to a height and width of 3 feet, and the flower can reach a diameter of 7 inches.
There are numerous artichoke variations such as:
- Jerusalem Artichoke
- Omaha Artichoke
- Carciofo Romanesco Artichoke
- Sangria Artichoke
- Green Globe Artichoke
- Fiesole Artichoke
- Chianti Artichoke
- Big Heart Artichoke
- Baby Anzio Artichoke
- Desert Globe Artichoke
- Imperial Star Artichoke
We will do our best to cover the majority of the sorts and determine whether or not they are appropriate for your flock to ingest.
But firstly, let’s talk about health and nutritional benefits of these thistles.
Are Artichokes Safe for the Chickens to Eat?
They shouldn’t be fed large amounts of artichoke leaves because they contain toxins that could kill your flock if ingested in large quantities.
If you want to feed your chickens artichoke leaves, only give them small amounts every once and a while and make sure they don’t have access to too much at once.
Nutritional Benefits of Artichokes
In comparison to other vegetables, artichokes have very little calories. Less than 50 calories may be found in the edible portion of a single big bud; however, this does not include for the additional calories that may be consumed from the sauce.
Although the artichoke is not often recognized for its nutritional significance, it does include a range of vitamins and minerals in modest but beneficial levels.
You are wondering what other vegetables are healthy for chickens? Do chickens like collard greens?
Feeding hens a variety of things is simple since chickens will consume practically everything you put in front of them.
How should artichokes be prepared for Chickens? *cooked, raw or canned*
Do chickens like cooked artichoke? Is raw artichoke is better my chickens to consume? Artichokes can be fed fresh or cooked to your chickens either whole or chopped up into pieces. Alternatively, if you don’t want to bother chopping the leaves up for your flock, you may just give them the leaves whole.
You may also steam, boil, or microwave an artichoke for a delicious and nutritious meal. The flower’s pulpy center and the meat at the leaf’s base are both edible. Before using the leaves in a dish, wash them and trim the ends so that they are no longer than a quarter of an inch.
What about canned artichokes? Can hens eat those?
Awesome that you have some canned artichokes on hand for your family’s future use. Do you want to know whether canned artichokes are okay to include in your chicken’s diet?
Chickens may be fed canned artichoke if too much salt and sugar were not added during preparation.
Now let’s jump on the other varieties and see if chickens do love eating them.
Are Jerusalem artichokes safe for hens to eat?
A field experiment was carried out to investigate the impact of the Jerusalem artichoke, also known as topinambur, which is rich in fructan, on certain cecal bacteria as well as the levels of bacterial endotoxins. Both the experimental group and the control group were composed on broiler chickens of the Ross 308 breed that were one day old. At the ages of 14, 21, 28, and 35 days, the relative weights of the pancreas and the bursa of Fabricius were larger for the birds who participated in the experiment rather than the birds that served as a control.
In short, Broiler hens benefited with increased development and protection from endotoxins and other possible cecal infections when Jerusalem artichokes are fed to them.
In this video below, you can see chickens eating cooked Jerusalem Artichoke.
Can chickens eat Green Globe Artichoke?
Globe artichokes are a type of thistle, related to sunflowers and Jerusalem artichokes. They grow in a variety of colors and sizes, but they all have the same smooth, glossy leaves that are used in cooking.
Yes, you can feed chickens with green globe artichoke and because of their fiber, offshoots of globe artichokes can be considered a useful food to bowel.
We looked at different kinds of artichokes, but our findings were inconclusive. For this reason, we only provided information on Green Globe and Jerusalem types.
Conclusion:
As you can see, the answer is not as simple as a yes or no. There seem to be conflicting answers to this question on the Internet and no clear cut answer. In fact, we have found several websites that state they do eat artichokes, while other websites say they should not be given to chickens.
Your best bet would be to monitor your flock’s reaction to them if you choose to feed them artichoke and adjust their diet accordingly. Feeding them a few leaves here and there probably won’t hurt, but remember to give them other foods such as lettuce or kale in addition to artichoke to ensure all of their dietary needs are met, especially if you are trying to encourage egg production.
Next to read:
Shannon Stansberry has been engaged in the business of raising chickens for more than 12 years. In 2016, she accomplished the Agriculture & Natural Resources program at Mt. San Antonio College. At present, she tends to more than 80 chickens on her 4-hectare farm. Shannon regularly shares her insights and experience on how to raise healthy and contented chickens on the platform Typesofchickens.com
