Chickens are omnivores and have varied diets. Chickens can eat vegetables, fruits, meats, and small animals. However, can chickens eat celery? Yes! They can. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of celery for chickens and how you can feed the plant to the chickens.
Which parts of the Celery Plant do Chickens enjoy the most?
Now that we have answered this: Can chickens eat Celery? Let’s discuss the parts of the celery plant that chickens love to consume:
Roots
The roots, also known as celeriac, are safe for chickens to consume. However, ensure no additional growth before you feed celery roots to your chickens. The roots are tenderer than the stalks, and chickens enjoy eating them.
Leaves
The leaves in celery are the dense parts on top of the plant’s stalks. Chickens enjoy eating celery leaves the most. The leaves are packed with nutrients such as manganese, calcium, and magnesium. Celery leaves are easier to digest than other parts of the plant and are softer than the stalks and roots.
Stalks
While chickens can eat the stalks, they are tougher than the leaves and roots, which makes them difficult to digest for chickens. Chickens are also not interested in celery stalks; they peck at the stalks for a bit and then trample them. If you plan on feeding the stalks to your chickens, chop them into small pieces.
Health Benefits of Celery for Chickens?
Celery is an extremely beneficial plant for chickens. No component of the plant is poisonous to the birds. While chickens will not always be willing to eat celery, when they do eat the plant, these are the benefits they will get:
The Celery plant can strengthen Immunity
As discussed earlier, celery is rich in calcium, manganese, and magnesium. However, celery has more nutrients, such as vitamin C, potassium, and iron. The plant also has a few traces of zinc.
Chickens are susceptible to illnesses such as colds, and if you feed them veggies packed with minerals and vitamins, you can prevent them from falling ill.
The Celery plant can decrease Cholesterol levels
The celery plant has a high fiber, water, and low-calorie content. This makes the veggies perfect for reducing the cholesterol levels in the chicken’s body. You don’t want the chickens to have high LDL (Low-density Lipoprotein) cholesterol levels.
High LDL levels in chickens can affect the heart and cause sudden death and fatty liver syndrome. Therefore, giving your chickens high-fiber and low-calorie foods like celery will prolong their lives by stabilizing their cholesterol levels.
The Celery plant can improve Digestion in Chickens
Healthy chickens have a healthy digestive system. If your chickens consume celery regularly, their digestive system will function properly.
Celery contains many nutrients supporting enzyme production that fights bloating and constipation. The high-water content of celery cleanses the gut, and fiber in the plant will assist with mobility.
How to feed Celery to Chickens?
Here are some important feeding tips:
Cut the Celery into small chunks
If the chickens consume foods too big to digest, they can have an impacted crop. Since chickens lack teeth, they cannot grind down food. You should always dice or chop the celery before giving it to the chickens.
Moderation is Key
While celery benefits chickens, it is a bland vegetable; your chickens might not go crazy about it. You should only feed your chickens a small number of celery chunks, and you can add a bit of celery to their regular feed as well.
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Conclusion
In this article, we focused on this question: Can chickens eat celery? Not only can chickens eat celery, but it is also extremely beneficial for them. We listed the numerous benefits celeries can offer chickens and explained the parts of the plant that chickens enjoy eating the most.
