Wild strawberries grow in a variety of locations, they can grow in woodlands, in open fields and they can grow in your garden. Some homeowners see this plant as a weed but wild strawberries are edible and some can be very delicious.

If you’re growing this plant in your garden, you may be wondering whether you can feed the fruit to your chickens. This article explores the question of ‘do chickens eat wild strawberries’

Chickens can eat wild strawberries, these tiny fruits are not only delicious and sweet, but they can also deliver a number of nutrients to your bird. These nutrients include flavonoids, fiber, and vitamin C. However, this food should be given as a treat to your bird rather than a meal. 

Do chickens eat wild strawberries? 

Chickens need variety in their diets, a balanced chicken diet will include grains, vegetables, and fruits. Wild strawberries are an example of a fruit that can be given to chickens.

Wild strawberries aren’t too different from garden strawberries.

One noticeable difference is that the wild varieties are much smaller than the strawberries we eat on a regular basis. However, these tiny strawberries still pack a pretty good flavor punch. 

Chickens can definitely eat wild strawberries, in fact, chickens love wild strawberries. Wild strawberries don’t require much effort to eat, they fit in the mouths of chickens easily.

Chickens love wild strawberries because they are a small and easy snack, plus, they have high amounts of sugars which chickens go crazy for. 

Wild strawberries that chickens can eat:

There are a variety of wild strawberries that chickens can eat:

Virginia wild strawberry:

The Virginia wild strawberry also called the Fragaria virginiana, is small but very tasty.

Beach or coast strawberry:

The Beach or coast strawberry, also called the Fragaria chiloensis, is edible but not too tasty.

Woodland strawberry:

Another wild strawberry, the Woodland strawberry, or the Fragaria vesca, is a large strawberry that is quite delicious, chickens love it

Benefits that wild strawberries offer chickens:

Wild strawberries are packed with nutrients that will benefit your bird:

Anthocyanin:

One such nutrient is a flavonoid called anthocyanin, anthocyanins are known to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Quercetin:

Quercetin is another flavonoid found in wild strawberries, this flavonoid helps to lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation in the bird’s body.

Fiber:

Fiber is also present in wild strawberries, fibre helps to maintain good digestion in the bird.

Vitamin C:

Additionally, the vitamin C content of strawberries helps to maintain a strong immune system in the bird. 

Do chickens eat wild strawberry leaves? 

Humans usually ignore wild strawberry leaves when eating this fruit or when feeding it to chickens, but the leaves of this fruit can also be eaten by chickens and are actually quite nutritious.

The leaves of this fruit contain good amounts of antioxidants which will boost your chicken’s immune system, thus maintaining good health 

What to avoid when serving wild strawberries to chickens

Although wild strawberries are easy for chickens to eat and are delicious, they can become unhealthy if given in large amounts.

Wild strawberries are delicious because of their high sugar content, but too much sugar can be bad for the birds. The bird may only eat the strawberries, get a sugar high, and then ignore the foods that it should actually be eating to maintain good health.

To avoid this, only give the birds these fruits in limited supply and avoid overfeeding them this fruit

 

How to serve wild strawberries to chickens: 

Wild strawberries should be given to your chickens as a treat. Treats in a chicken’s diet should only account for 5-10% of the bird’s diet.

If you’re feeding one bird, the bird can have 2 strawberries a day. If you’re feeding a flock of birds, then giving them around 30-40 strawberries a day for the whole coop is fine 

Preparing wild strawberries for chickens is quite simple. Because they are already a good size for chickens to eat you can simply add some into a bowl and let the birds eat.

Monitor how many strawberries each bird is eating making sure that the fruits are evenly distributed and a few birds don’t eat all the fruit. Avoid mixing this fruit with the chickens feed, this fruit goes bad easily, you don’t want the strawberries affecting the quality of the feed 

Conclusion

In conclusion, yes chickens can eat wild strawberries.

Wild strawberries are packed with nutrients that improve the health of your bird. However, because wild strawberries are packed with sugar, they should only be given to birds as a treat, not as a meal. Treats should make up 5-10% of a chicken’s diet.

You can also feed your chickens wild strawberry leaves as these are rich in antioxidants 

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 wheat?, Do chickens eat wild mushrooms?, Do chickens eat eucalyptus leaves?