Can Chickens Eat Fish? The Complete Guide
Are you looking to add protein, calcium, and other nutrients to your flock’s feed? This article has everything you need to know about feeding fish to your chickens. In this article, you’ll learn the benefits and risks of feeding fish to your chickens, the best and worst species to feed, and how to safely prepare fish for chickens.
Many chicken owners are surprised at the wide variety of plants and animals that chickens can and do love to eat. In addition to the expected natural food sources, like bugs, grasses, and vegetables, this also includes kitchen scraps and other, less obvious sources of nutrients. But what about fish? In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about safely feeding fish to your chickens.
Can Chickens Eat Fish?
Absolutely! Chickens love fish, and as an occasional treat, it’s an excellent addition and supplement to their diet. Read on to learn the many benefits of feeding your chickens fish, as well as the best and safest ways to do it.
What Are the Benefits of Feeding Fish to Chickens?
There are many benefits of feeding fish to chickens, and people with an interest in nutrition will recognize them as many of the same benefits that humans reap when they eat fish and other seafood. The primary benefit and most important nutrient chickens get from eating fish is protein. Since the modern chicken diet is centered around grain-based feeds, it can be easy for chicken owners to forget that chickens in the wild were omnivores, and still are. They supplement their diets with insects, bugs, and other sources of protein, especially if they free range and can forage. If they don’t, fish becomes an even better treat and source of necessary protein. Feed should still be the staple of their diet, but chickens, like humans, thrive on variety, and occasional fish snacks are a great way to introduce that. Fish are also an excellent source of many other nutrients, including Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals. The proportions of these nutrients will vary depending on what kind of fish you choose, but adding them to your flock’s diet will help them produce stronger eggs and even strengthen their immune systems.
What Kinds of Fish Can Chickens Eat?
Good Fish to Feed to Chickens | Fish to Avoid |
● Bass ● Catfish ● Cod ● Cooked fish ● Dried fish ● Haddock ● Halibut ● Pollock ● Raw fish ● Sardines ● Sunfish ● Tilapia ● Trout ● Whole fish | ● Anchovy ● Bluefish ● Canned fish ● Eel ● Flounder ● Herring ● King Mackerel ● Salmon ● Seasoned fish ● Shark ● Snapper ● Spoiled fish ● Swordfish ● Tuna ● Yellowtail |
How Should I Prepare Fish for My Chickens?
Chickens can eat fish that has been prepared using almost any method you can think of, which makes it not only a healthy treat, but a relatively easy one, as well. Chickens can happily and safely eat fish whether it is raw or cooked, whole or chopped, fresh or dried. Given this, it may be tempting to give your flock any leftovers you have from Fish Fridays or last weekend’s clambake. However, many seasonings that humans enjoy can be potentially toxic or unhealthy for your feathered friends. Alliums (onions, garlic, scallions, and similar) break down into two compounds, called thiosulfates and disulfides, that can cause diarrhea, difficulty breathing, and anemia. (Many chicken owners still swear by garlic as a health supplement for their birds, though, as it contains these compounds in very low quantities.) Foods with lots of butter and dairy can also be dangerous to your birds in the long term. In general, it’s best to avoid giving seasoned foods to your flock. Another concern when feeding fish to chickens is the bones. Luckily, chickens are excellent digesters, and even fish bones generally won’t slow them down. If you give your girls a whole fish, in short order, there will be nothing left of it, as the birds will have broken, swallowed, and digested the bones with no ill effects. In general, then, you can toss your chickens bony fish as is, and not have to worry. However, particularly large or sharp bones can still be a choking hazard, so if you find any while preparing the fish, it’s a good idea to remove them. You should also always keep an eye on the flock as they eat fish bones, so you can step in if one of them starts choking or pulls out a particularly dangerous-looking bone. The last thing to be aware of when choosing fish to feed to your birds is how processed the fish is. Canned fish or other highly processed fish products may have preservatives or other chemicals you don’t want to give to your birds, so these products are best avoided in favor of fresher, more identifiable fish products.