Chickens may be birds but not all birds are chickens.

If the wild birds in your area aren’t interested in the food that you give them, then you may be considering giving this food to your chickens, but do chickens eat wild bird seed? This article explores this question. 

Chickens can eat wild bird seed mixes but this food should only be given to chickens on occasion. Wild bird seed mixes aren’t tailored to serve the nutritional needs of chickens, this type of bird seed is also fattier than chicken feeds. Because of this, wild bird seed mixes should only be given to chickens on occasion and more often during winter 

Can chickens eat wild bird seed?

A chicken’s diet of fruits, vegetables, and grains can sometimes become boring. If you’re raising chickens, and want to add some occasional variety to their diets, then wild bird seed may be the way to go. 

Wild bird seed mixes usually contain sunflower seeds, millet, flaked maize, peanut granules, and cracked corn. Typical chicken feed usually contains cereal grains or pellets. This may not seem very different to humans but it can be to the birds. 

Wild bird seed and chickens

Wild bird seed mix is not a food that chickens can regularly eat because these seed mixes are often very fatty, in addition, they usually do not contain all the nutrients that chickens need to sustain a healthy well-nourished existence.

In fact, giving your chicken wild bird seed mixes as their main source of food can cause them to gain weight while at the same time, being malnourished.

Because of this, it is recommended that you only give your chickens wild bird seed mixes on occasion.

Yes, chickens enjoy birdseed, and yes, birdseed is a great treat for them but this food should only be offered on occasion.

That being said, giving chickens added calories during the wintertime will be good for them as well.

To combat the cold weather, chickens need to burn off more calories to stay warm in the winter. The added fats in wild bird seed mixes can deliver more calories to the chicken’s body 

Can baby chicks eat wild bird seed?

Yes, baby chickens can also eat wild bird seed mixes. These tiny animals can eat foods like oatmeal, cracked corn, and wheat from as early as a week old.

That being said, because baby chicks eat so little, feeding them a diet of mainly wild bird seed mix is a bad idea.

Baby chickens can quickly fill up on the wild bird seed mix leaving no room for their starter feed, this can cause them to become malnourished.

If you do decide to feed them this food, make sure it is only given in moderation. In addition, you can help make this food easier for them to eat by breaking the seed mix into smaller pieces, you can even process the seed mix in a food processor to break it down even further 

How to serve wild bird seed to chickens 

Allowing chickens to forage for their food comes with many benefits such as exercise, being entertained, and feeling independent.

Foraging for wild bird seed, thrown on the ground, allows these animals to act as though they are finding their own food rather than being constantly fed.

The movement and energy it takes for chickens to forage around and look for food is also a great way for them to get some exercise and entertainment into their day. 

When serving wild bird seed to chickens it is important to only give them this food in small amounts. Treats should be limited to 5 -10 percent of a chickens diet, treats include wild bird seed.

Thus, however much food you choose to feed these animals, limit their wild bird seed intake to 10 percent of their diet 

Conclusion

In conclusion, yes chickens can eat wild bird seed.

Wild bird seed can be given as a treat to these birds, this food may not be the greatest addition to your bird’s diet but the feathered animal will love it.

In addition, wild bird seed can help chickens gain extra calories during the wintertime when they need it most 

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other chicken related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in:  Do chickens eat quiche?, Do chickens eat quick oats?, Do chickens eat quinoa?,