Can Chickens Eat Cauliflower?

If you've ever wondered whether chickens can have cauliflower, you're not alone.

Chickens are natural omnivores and while commercially produced chicken feed supplies all the nutrients they need to survive, I feel that chickens, like humans, benefit from a varied diet.

Some chickens are real connoisseurs, enjoying life's fine delicacies like styrofoam, dead mice, and dirty puddle water.

It almost makes you wonder why you're googling if you can feed chickens cauliflower or not, doesn't it? Ha!

Can Chickens Eat Cauliflower?

Yes, your chickens can have cauliflower!

BUT!

While your chickens love treats, it's important to ensure that you only feed your chickens these treats in moderation.

As a general rule, too many treats can affect your chickens negatively. Their feed is specially formulated to provide all the micro and macronutrients they need, so adding too much extra fresh food can throw their nutrition out of whack, especially fiber-filled food like cauliflower florets that don't have much nutritional value in the way of protein and fats.

Like broccoli, and cabbage, cauliflower contains goitrogens, and if offered in excess can cause avian goiter, so caution should be taken when feeding your flock these veggies.

Goiter is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland and symptoms can include weight loss, lethargy, depression, and worse. If your chickens are on feed containing soybeans, it's crucial to monitor their consumption of cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and turnips. These contain goitrogens that may impact your flock's health.

Cauliflower Is Healthy For Chickens Too!

While it's common knowledge that chickens require a balanced diet to maintain good health and quality egg production, it's easy to overlook the benefits of veggies. These nutritious and tasty greens can play a vital role in supporting your feathered friends' overall well-being and egg laying.

Cauliflower is a great source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and contains potassium to help your hens lay lots of healthy eggs! Plus, as I mentioned in my do chickens have tongues your chooks may get an extra flavor boost from water-heavy veggies like cauliflower stems!

The green cauliflower leaves are edible, and although tough in texture to us, my chickens adore them. Don't forget that florets and stems are as much a healthy treat as the leaves so don't be in a rush to send those to the compost pile.

What Parts Of The Cauliflower Plant Can Chickens Eat?

Well, they can eat all of it! The roots, the stalks, and the leaves are all edible and are a great treat for your chooks.

If you're like me, and you cut the cauliflower plants at the soil level to allow the roots to break down in your no-till garden or you just don't want to give them the entire plant, it is fine to just feed them the leaves, stems, or even entire heads that may have gotten contaminated by those dreaded cabbage worms!

Feeding Chickens Cauliflower

Before you serve cauliflower to your flock, consider the following:

• Rinse and inspect the fresh cauliflower: If you wouldn't eat it, don't feed it to your birds. If there are moldy, rotten spots cut those off and discard them or add them to the compost.
• Chickens aren't exactly known for being able to eat an intact cauliflower plant. Due to their lack of teeth, they may get frustrated if the florets are too tricky to peck and might just lose interest in the treat entirely.
• Make sure that whatever part of the raw cauliflower you are giving your laying hens is cut up into small pieces so they can pick it up easily and enjoy it. We often use a food processor to chop fresh produce into chicken bite-sized pieces.
• Cooked cauliflower can be offered in large pieces, as the cooking process breaks down the tough cell walls and allows the chickens to peck out appropriate-sized bites.
• Don't forget to provide grit. To ensure digestive system health and the overall well-being of your feathered friends, chickens need grit as a supplement to help break down their food in the gizzard when feeding them anything other than commercial feed.

More Chicken Content!

TL;DR

Yes. If you're thinking of feeding cauliflower to your chickens, do it in moderation and prepare it carefully to ensure their safety. Always verify that the cauliflower is fresh and diced into small pieces for easy consumption. Don't forget to provide grit, especially when you give fresh fruits and veggies to your feathered flock.

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