Tomatoes are particularly rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin C, K and B9 as well as antioxidants.
This makes the red vegetable a very nutritious source of food for your feathered friend.
Chickens are omnivores, so they can eat anything from plants to small animals. This means that they love tomatoes in a range of ways, from cooked to raw.
Tomatoes are nutrient-dense foods, so there is a lot of goodness in tomatoes that helps to keep your flock healthy.
Can Feeding Hens Tomatoes Affect Their Egg Quality?
If you feed your hens a few tomatoes here and then your chickens will get the benefit from the variety of nutrients in the tomatoes.
However, if you feed your chickens too many tomatoes, you will notice that they negatively affect the quality of the animal’s eggs.
As tomatoes are packed full of nutrients, chickens can quickly overeat on this goodness.
The excess nutrients can then have an impact on the concentrations of yolk carotenoids and lipid peroxidation.
This can change the taste of the eggs. In addition, a large amount of tomatoes in a hen’s diet will also affect the frequency of how often the bird lays an egg.
How Often Can You Feed Your Chickens Tomatoes?
Now you know that too many tomatoes can have adverse effects on the chicken’s egg laying behavior, you may wonder how often can you feed your animals tomatoes?
Tomatoes may be a healthy food source for chickens but they should be fed in combination with other chicken-friendly foods.
It’s important to feed tomatoes only as a treat, and in moderation.
If you feed tomatoes to your chickens too often, the flock can quickly get used to the taste and nutrients, and they will then start to reject their natural food sources, such as seeds.
For a larger flock of chickens, you can feed them smaller chunks of tomatoes a couple of times a week. This will avoid any problems with overfeeding on this nutrient’rich vegetable.
Make sure that you adjust the quantity during the colder months. Chickens typically eat more during the winter months.
This means that you need to slightly increase the number of tomatoes your chickens eat, together with the usual feed they receive.
Can You Feed Your Chickens Unripe Tomatoes?
Juicy and ripe tomatoes are a very safe food source for your chickens. However, unripe tomatoes do not have all the nutrients yet.
On the contrary, unripe tomatoes contain the compound solanine which is harmful to your chickens. That’s why, never feed your chickens tomatoes that are not ripe.
Also make sure that the tomatoes are not rotten or moldy. It’s best to feed your chickens fresh tomatoes that have not been treated with pesticides.
In addition, you need to be careful that you do not feed your chickens any of the stems or leaves of this red vegetable.
The tomato is part of the nightshade family, so while the fruit is safe for your chickens to feed on, the greens of the tomato are poisonous.
What Variety Of Tomatoes Can You Feed Your Chicken?
The variety of tomatoes depends on what is available to you. Chickens can eat any type of tomato, as long as it is ripe and juicy.
You need to make sure that you remove the tomatoes from the plant as the chicken may be tempted to peck on the leaves, which are poisonous.
What Other Vegetables Can A Chicken Eat?
Chickens can eat a large range of backyard vegetables, including Swiss chard, cabbage, kale, broccoli, celery, carrots and cauliflower.
They also enjoy peppers, cucumbers, pumpkin and squash.
Conclusion
A flock of chickens loves pecking on a large number of different foods. As omnivores, chickens can eat slugs, snails and eggs, as well as plants, such as cucumbers and tomatoes.
You should only ever feed tomatoes in moderation and as a treat. The vegetable contains a lot of nutrients which can help your chickens grow and stay healthy.
Tomatoes are a great addition to your chicken’s diet, so as long as you provide them together with other chicken-friendly food, tomatoes are safe to eat for your chicken.
