Avoid toxic and harmful foods

Never feed chickens avocado pits or skins (contain persin, which causes heart failure), raw or dried beans (contain phytohemagglutinin, lethal even in small amounts), green potato skins or sprouts (contain solanine), chocolate (theobromine toxicity), or moldy food (mycotoxins cause organ damage). These are not just unhealthy — they can kill chickens quickly.

Why It Works

Chickens have small body mass, so even modest amounts of toxins can be fatal. Persin in avocado causes respiratory distress and death within 24–48 hours. A single raw kidney bean contains enough phytohemagglutinin to kill a chicken. Solanine in green potatoes causes neurological symptoms. Unlike mammals, chickens cannot vomit, so they cannot expel toxic food once eaten.

Tips

• Safe list: most vegetables, fruits (no pits), cooked grains, herbs, mealworms, plain yogurt
• Dangerous list: avocado skin/pit, raw beans, green potatoes, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, onions in large quantities, rhubarb leaves
• When in doubt about a specific food, do not feed it until you verify
• Keep compost piles fenced off — chickens will eat moldy scraps if they can reach them