The popularity of chickens as pets and domesticated animals has taken off hugely in the last few years, yet it can be tricky to know exactly the type of foods you can treat them with, specifically for this article, can chickens eat pineapple?

The good news is that pineapple is indeed safe for chickens to eat, when given in the right quantities, and as part of a balanced and varied diet.

Chickens are surprisingly resilient and can eat lots of foods, like kitchen scraps, leftovers, and various fruits.

Most chicken pet owners report that pineapples are very much enjoyed by their chickens, and pineapple is safe for chickens to eat.. but, as always, only in moderation.

What’s the best way to feed your chicken some pineapple?

It doesn’t take much convincing to get your chicken to eat pineapple. The fruit is sweet, delicious, and music to a chicken’s pallette.

Chickens, it’s worth remembering, do not have teeth (isn’t that a weird mental image?) and that means, so as long as you cut a pineapple properly by peeling away the skin, you’ll be left with only the flesh. That’s the part of a pineapple your chicken can eat.

Which parts of a pineapple can chickens eat?

Some chicken lovers report that their chickens will eat the majority of a pineapple, usually only leaving some of the tougher inedible skins.

If you want to play it safe, simply feed your chicken the the edible yellow fleshy part of the pineapple.

Are the nutrients in pineapple good for chickens?

In a study undertaken by students at the University of Southern California, there was reasonable evidence to suggest that bromelain – a unique enzyme one of the main and beneficial components of pineapple – is useful in helping improve how chickens absorb their feed.

In short, letting your chicken eat pineapple can help them grow bigger!

Dietary bromelain from pineapple has also been shown to improve how well chickens can digest their food, and actively reduces E.coli that’s often found in chicken’s intestinal tracts.

Pineapples have no saturated fat and cholesterol, which means that it reduces the likelihood of your pet chicken developing certain health complications when they eat them.

What should I be worried about when giving pineapple to my chickens?

Like anything, and especially fruits high in sugar, giving pineapple to your chicken should be done in moderation. It doesn’t contain enough all-round macronutrients to fill up a chicken’s needs.

So, all in all, it’s a good idea to give your chicken a little bit of pineapple. You’ll see how quickly they gobble (getit?) it up.

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Eve is a pineapple expert and researcher who has contributed to various pineapple studies on pineapple feasibility, industrialisation and cultivation across the world. As an avid pineapple fan, they build PineapplesInfo along with a dedicated team of contributors.

