What Food Scraps Are Safe for Chickens to Eat

What Kitchen Scraps Can Chickens Eat?

Chickens love to forage, and giving them different scraps can help them get extra nutrients and keep feeding costs down.

It can also be a good way to reduce food waste in your kitchen and avoid food ending up in landfills.

Most fruit and veggie scraps are safe—think leafy greens, carrot tops, and fruit.

Whole grains like oats or barley are also great, as well as cooked beans, seeds, and some cooked meat or fish.

Good Scraps for Chickens (in moderation)

• Most fruits and veggies: Cooked or raw, things like carrots, broccoli, and apples (without seeds) are great for your chickens. Just remember, too much fruit can upset their stomachs.
• Whole grains: Oats, barley, and corn are good for giving your chickens extra energy, especially in winter.
• Cooked meat and fish: Small amounts of leftover chicken, beef, or seafood (without bones) are fine, but avoid anything fatty or spicy.
• Seeds and cooked beans: Chickens love seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds, but never give them raw beans—they’re toxic for chickens.
• Eggs: Scrambled or boiled eggs are a great protein boost. Just make sure they don't look like regular eggs so your chickens don’t start eating their own!
• Greens and forage: Lettuce, kale, or even garden weeds are perfect greens for your chickens to scratch through.

Scraps to Avoid

Not all scraps are safe. Some can make chickens sick, and others are downright toxic.

Avoid giving your chickens these:

• High fat, sugar, or salt foods: Cakes, chips, and processed foods can lead to health problems.
• Processed grains: White bread, pasta, and rice don’t have the nutrients chickens need.
• Raw potato and avocado: Raw potatoes (especially green ones) and avocados are toxic.
• Rotten or spoiled food: This one should be obvious. Mouldy or spoiled food can make chickens really sick.
• Chocolate and coffee: Both are toxic for chickens.
• Dried beans: Raw beans contain lectins, which are very toxic unless properly cooked.
• Plants high in oxalates: Leaves like rhubarb or uncooked warrigal greens can cause health issues.

For a full list of foods to avoid, check out our guide: What Not to Feed Chickens.

Why Feeding Safe Scraps Matters

Feeding scraps isn’t just about reducing waste—it’s about giving your chickens extra nutrients to keep them happy and healthy.

Safe scraps can add vitamins, keep them busy, and even improve egg quality. But the wrong scraps can cause health issues or stop them from laying eggs.

It’s also important to feed scraps in moderation. Scraps should be considered a treat and not the main part of your chickens' diet.

Scraps often lack the protein and key nutrients that chickens need to keep laying eggs regularly.

If chickens don’t get enough of the right nutrients, it can affect their egg quality and how often they lay.

Always make sure your chooks have unlimited access to a complete feed to meet their nutritional needs. See also our guide about how much to feed chickens per day.

Using good feeders and drinkers is also important for a healthy flock.

Our Feeder and Drinker Kits help keep food clean, cut down on waste, and make feeding easier. A healthy diet and the right equipment are both key to keeping your chickens in great shape. But our feeders are not meant to handle food scraps in them - only use pellets or mash in the Dine-A-Chook feeders.