Can Chickens Eat Wheat?

Can Chickens Eat Wheat?

Chickens are omnivores, so they don’t have a problem eating anything. However, can chickens eat wheat? The answer to this question is a Yes. Chickens can not only eat wheat, but it is also safe for them.  

In this article, we will discuss how you can feed wheat to your chickens and why it is important to monitor the chickens when feeding them wheat.

What is Wheat?

wheat

Wheat is a grain that farmers harvest after peeling high-fiber wheat hulls. There are three basic types of wheat:

  • Durum wheat
  • Soft wheat
  • Hard wheat

Hard wheat is typically given to chickens because it has a high protein and gluten content. 

Is Wheat a Good Food Source for Chickens?

Now that we have given some much-needed clarity about this question: Can chickens eat wheat? Let’s discuss what a good food source for the birds is. 

There are many forms of wheat, and they are a good food source for chickens. You can serve the wheat to the chickens in oat, barley, or whole forms. 

The durum wheat is popular among humans, and chickens can also eat it. Chickens can also eat wheat or its derivatives such as barley. 

Different Forms of Wheat

wheat type

Here are some of the different forms of wheat:

Wheat Berries

Wheat berries are extremely beneficial for chickens, and you should feed the chickens berries occasionally.

However, it is important to monitor the quantity you are giving, as too many wheat berries can be disastrous. Chickens enjoy eating wheat berries but ensure that you don’t make the berries a big part of their regular diet. 

Raw Wheat

Raw wheat is 100 % safe to eat for chickens. If you feed the chickens a combination of raw wheat and other nutritious foods, they can gain muscle mass. 

Wheat Bread

Unfortunately, wheat bread is not safe for chickens. Wheat bread offers little nutritional value and can cause blockages and digestive issues in chickens. Even other varieties of bread, such as multi-grain, are not suitable for chickens.

Wheat Bran

There is probably nothing wrong with feeding chickens, Wheat Bran. Studies show that adding Wheat Bran to the chickens’ diet can help stimulate growth. Many chicken experts have also given the green signal to Wheat Bran.

However, you must remember that chickens that typically eat Wheat Bran have a high body weight. While you should ensure your chickens are healthy, they should never get obese. 

Wheat Grass

Yes! Wheatgrass is 100 % safe to eat for chickens. Not only can chickens eat wheat grass, but it also has several benefits. Wheatgrass is a nutritional food; chickens typically eat it in winter.

Wheat Flour

While wheat flour is safe to eat for chickens, there is a good chance they won’t like it. Wheat flour lacks nutritional value, giving the birds few nutritional benefits.

Wheat Grain

There are no issues feeding wheat grain to chickens. Wheat Grain is also beneficial for chickens, and they can eat Wheat grain in barley or oat forms. To get the best nutritional value, you should feed the chickens a combination of different foods.

Wheat Germ

There are no issues with feeding wheat germs to the chickens. However, while Wheat Germ comprises magnesium, Zinc, Folate, and Thiamin, it is not very healthy for chickens. The best thing you can do is use the Wheat Germ to complement the chickens’ regime.

Wheat Straw

It is not safe for chickens to consume Wheat straws. That said, Wheat straw does contain phosphorus and potassium, which are plant nutrients. 

Shredded Wheat

While shredded wheat has a high sugar content, you can still feed it to the chickens. However, you must only give shredded wheat to the birds a few times throughout the week. Not only do chickens love to eat shredded wheat, but it is also a great source of fiber and contains antioxidants.

Wheat Seeds

Almost all varieties of wheat seeds are safe to consume for chickens. The wheat seed has a high gluten content, which can affect the chickens’ immune system. However, chickens that tolerate gluten, can gain fibers, vitamins, and nutrients from Wheat seeds. 

Wheat Cream

Wheat cream is a delicious snack for chickens; you can give them as a treat. However, please remember that Wheat cream has a high iron content, and iron can be harmful to birds such as chickens. Since wheat cream also has a high sugar content, it can lead to obesity in chickens. 

Should Chickens Only Eat Wheat?

chicken eat wheat

While there is no problem feeding chickens wheat, it should not be the only food item in their diet. It is important to give your birds a balanced diet because if you only give them wheat, this can happen:

Sickness

Without the essential minerals, birds, such as chickens, can fall sick. While wheat is rich in B vitamins and amino acids, overfeeding wheat can affect its growth and cause ingestion. Also, the B vitamins found in wheat are not beneficial for chickens.

Low Egg production

If chickens are deficient in amino acids such as Omega-3 fatty acids, it can reduce egg production. Also, since wheat lacks vitamin B5, it can damage the respiratory tract of the chickens. 

Aggressiveness

If chicken owners don’t give their birds enough minerals and vitamins, the birds can have intestinal distress. This means the chickens will begin pecking at each other and get impatient. If the chickens are only eating wheat, they also become very aggressive.

Pick up their Feathers

Chickens that rely only on wheat can eat their feathers, and these chickens can peck feathers from their tails and consume them. Since these chickens will lose their tail feathers, it can cause skin inflammation, especially in the summer months. 

Conclusion

In this article, our focus was on if chickens can eat wheat or not? While chickens can eat wheat, they cannot solely rely on it. You should also combine wheat with other nutritional foods and feed it to the chickens. We have also explained the consequences of feeding chickens only wheat.

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