Can chickens eat apples?

Is the nutrition an apple provides beneficial for your flock's health, or will it do more harm than good?

You may have seen information about apples being poisonous for chickens. Yet the apple is known for its high nutritional value.

So what's the truth? Can you let chickens loose in your orchard or should you put up the chicken wire?

There are plenty of articles about the effects of apples on humans and rats, but very few about their use in poultry feed. Nevertheless, there are some (referenced here).

This article covers five properly researched, proven benefits from those articles, alongside one word of caution.

Are apples good for chickens? 5 proven benefits.

1. Apples help chickens fight disease.

A good source of ascorbic acid (Vitamin 'C')⁽¹⁾, a powerful antioxidant, apples have been proven to increase chickens' ability to fight disease, particularly in times of heat or other stress⁽²⁾. 

Van Hieu et al are particularly strong in their findings of the importance of Vitamin 'C':

"The use of ascorbic acid to support poultry in adverse conditions, especially under heat stress conditions, is essential"⁽²⁾.

2. The peel reduces unhealthy fats.

If you've wondered whether chickens can eat apple peel (skin), the answer is "absolutely"! The peel contains higher levels of antioxidants than the flesh. Studies have also found that it can reduce the amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol in chickens, and increase the HDL (good) fats⁽³⁾.

That's potentially important for the amount of cholesterol in your hens' eggs. 

3. Apple pulp increases chickens' bowel health.

The 'pomace' or pulp of an apple – the solid remains after pressing or crushing apples – is a by-product of extracting apple juice. It's commonly thrown away, particularly in commercial production, but is now being studied as a powerfully beneficial source of antioxidants.

Also containing high amounts of fibre, it boosts bowel health in poultry by increasing the size and efficiency of the "villi", tiny hairs on the wall of the intestine which absorb nutrients⁽⁴⁾. 

4. Pectin increases the strength of the chickens' immune system.

Apples contain one of the richest sources of pectin, particularly in the pulp. Pectin is a source of fibre and has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects in both humans and animals⁽⁵⁾. 

Studies carried out specifically with chickens^{(e.g. 3, 5)} show a beneficial impact on the immune system which in turn can help prevent obesity, a known cause of Sudden Chicken Death Syndrome. 

5. Fermented apples have multiple health benefits.

Fermented apples, for example in the form of apple cider vinegar, have multiple proven health benefits for chickens.

Fermentation reduces harmful bacteria, is effective in fighting salmonella, allows nutrients in the gut to increase and can help control coccidiosis.

I've written a very detailed article about apple cider vinegar benefits, including how to make it and where to source, it.

Do chickens like apples?

They may be ultra-good for our flocks, but do chickens actually like apples?

As with everything, the answer is that some do, some don't. Most do, but chickens can be picky. Mine tend to prefer watermelon and persimmon, when they're available.

The only way to find out is to offer them, and see what happens.

In any event, though, apples – as with any treat – should only make up a small proportion (around 10%) of a chicken's diet. Feeding more than that can cause malnutrition. Chickens need a balanced diet, and foraging for their own food is an important part of maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding Sudden Chicken Death.

How to know what 10% is? It doesn't need to be exact. Make sure they have access to a good quality chicken feed first, and don't feed treats every day.

Can baby chicks eat apples?

As with adults, baby chicks need a high quality chick feed to make sure their diet is balanced and provides all the nutrition a healthy, rapidly growing chick requires.

Apples are also very high in fibre. Too much fibre can cause diarrhea in such small bodies.

So yes, chicks can eat apples – but in great moderation.

Can chickens have a whole apple?

They may have a lot of benefits, but are apples poisonous to chickens? 

You'll see a lot of comments on websites and blogs saying that chickens should not have whole apples. The truth is that the seeds of apples contain a bitter compound called amygdaline which, when crushed, releases cyanogenic glycoside, which in turn forms cyanide⁽⁶, ⁷⁾.

Interested in the mathematics of it? Apple seeds contain 1 to 4 milligrammes of amygdalin per gramme of seed. That can generate between 0.06 and 0.2 milligrammes of cyanide per gram of apple seeds⁽⁶⁾.

Where to source apples for chickens.

• If it's your spring or autumn (fall) time, plant some trees of your own. That way, you're certain that no pesticides have been used which might harm your chickens.

• Windfalls in the autumn are generally plentiful, and are often left on the ground to rot. Take a look around your neighbourhood. Are there friendly households who would allow you to bag up theirs before they become too far gone?

• Remember: chickens love worms. Be careful giving mouldy apples, but don't discount a windfall because it has worm holes. Let your chickens have fun digging them out!

• Of the three apples below, the one on the left has brown rot – see the mould on top. I would not feed this to my chickens. The one on the right looks partly rotten. I would probably feed this, but if the rot is too extensive I'd cut it out first.

• Ask at your local supermarket or greengrocer's whether they have any apples which are mis-shapen or past their sell by date which you could either have, or buy inexpensively. Be sure to wash them before feeding them to your flock – their trees are more than likely to have been sprayed with chemicals.

• Watch out in hedgerows and woodland areas for apple trees which you can forage. We have an orchard, but are also fortunate to have apple trees in our shrubbery on the roadside. We're more than happy for passers-by to help themselves. Better that than leave them to go to waste.

How to prepare apples for chickens.

However you offer apples to your chickens, remember this general advice:

• avoid the seeds
• use the peel
• pulp is an excellent source of nutrition
• give any treat only after they have had access to their feed
• don't give more than three or four apples per week, per flock of six chickens
• clear up any left-overs before your chickens roost. Leaving scraps in the yard will attract vermin.

Simple, quick ways of preparing apple treats.

• The simplest way to give your chickens apples whilst avoiding the seeds is to cut them into small pieces (leaving the peel on) and scatter on the ground.

• Core an apple and hang from a piece of twine at chicken head height.

• Core an apple. Fill the hole with a mix of coconut oil and wild bird food.

• For a seasonal treat at Thanksgiving or Christmas, string apple pieces, cherry tomatoes, grapes, radishes, mozarella balls – whatever else you have available – onto twine or embroidery thread. Hang in your run for a festive look!

• Add some apple cider vinegar to the flock's water supply. See this article for dosages.

More information about feeding your chickens healthily.