Chickens are natural foragers and don’t mind eating anything. However, as a chicken owner, you are responsible for feeding your chickens the best food. That said, can chickens eat chickpeas from a can? Yes! They can, but there are a few things you need to remember.
Are Canned Chickpeas safe for Chickens?
While you can give canned chickpeas to your chickens, you must know that most canned chickpeas have added preservatives and salt. Also, the salt content in canned chickpeas is high, and salt is harmful to chickens.
The best thing to do is wash the chickpeas thoroughly under running water before serving them to the chickens. You should also ensure that the canned chickpeas are properly cooked, as chickens cannot consume uncooked or raw chickpeas.
What benefits can Chickens derive from Canned Chickpeas?
Now that you know the answer, can chickens eat chickpeas from a can? Let’s discuss what benefits chickens can get from eating chickpeas.
Chickpeas are a primary ingredient in most cuisines worldwide because of their unique nutrition profile. Chickens love to eat chickpeas, and here is why you should add chickpeas to your chickens’ diet:
High Protein content
Protein helps formulate, regulate, and repair cells in the body. Protein regulates fluid balance, enhances feather growth, and boosts the chickens’ immune system. A 100-gram serving of canned chickpeas consists of 9 grams of protein.
If your chickens don’t get enough protein, it can lead to tissue shrinkage and fluid retention. Two to three servings of canned chickpeas can fulfill their daily protein needs.
Canned Chickpeas are rich in tryptophan, isoleucine, and lysine, which are amino acids. Lysine helps in the retention of calcium and the production of protein in chickens. If chickens don’t have enough lysine in their body, they can have reproductive issues and suffer from anemia or fatigue.
High Dietary Fiber content
Chickens contain a high dietary fiber content, and a 100-gram serving of canned chickpeas can have 7.6 grams of fiber.
The dietary fiber can help ease bowel movements in the chicken’s digestive tract. Dietary fiber can also help in lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
High Magnesium content
Most chicken owners will add magnesium to their chickens’ feed because it aids in the chickens’ bone and metabolism growth.
However, while canned chickpeas have a high magnesium content, you don’t want to go overboard with this nutrient. Try not to over-supplement magnesium in the chickens’ diet.
How to feed Chickens canned Chickpeas?
Here is how you can feed chickpeas to chickens:
Hummus
Hummus is a classic Middle Eastern dish that is delicious and packed with protein. To make this dish, you will need to combine these ingredients in a blender or a food processor:
- Water
- Olive oil
- Canned chickpeas
- Garlic cloves
- Cumin powder
- Lemon juice
- Tahini pastes
You must blend these ingredients until they turn into a smooth paste. You can also serve the hummus with vegetables to the chickens.
Salad
The chickpeas salad is perfect for chickens on a hot summer day. To make this salad, you must combine chopped vegetables (like carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers), spices (like oregano, pepper, and salt), and canned chickpeas in a cooking pot.
Let all the ingredients simmer, and stop cooking once your veggies are soft. Let the salad cool down before feeding it to the chickens.
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Conclusion
In this article, we focused on: Can chickens eat chickpeas from a can? Canned chickpeas are safe for chickens, but you must clean them before serving them to the birds. We also discussed a few ways to serve canned chickpeas to your chickens.
