Do Chickens Eat Grass?

Yes – chickens eat grass. In fact, studies have shown that chickens that feed on fresh grass are healthier and produce more robust eggs. 

Read on to learn about grass nutritional value, exactly how and when to feed chickens grass, and safe feeding tips.

Grass is a plant, so why don’t humans and many other animals eat it regularly? Doctors recommend we eat lots of plants and vegetables, so why exactly isn’t it a part of most of our diets?

In actuality, grass (especially wild grass) does have nutrients – it has vitamins A, C, and some B vitamins, as well as several minerals. However, it also contains something called lignin, and a lot of it. Humans can process lignin in small qualities, but grass contains so much that it usually passes through without giving any nutrients. Meanwhile, other animals like cows, with their famed multiple stomachs, are able to eat grass and thrive on it. 

Although many animals can thrive on diets consisting largely of grass (see a full list of animals that eat grass here), for many animals including hamsters and humans, grass isn’t a viable source of sustenance. 

So why can chickens digest grass? This is just the genetics of the chicken’s unique and elaborate digestive system. They’re able to eat grass and extract nutrients from it, while some other animals can not.

Chickens that feed on fresh grass are likely raised in larger pastures and consequently, are happier, which contributes to their overall health.

Eating grass gives chickens: 

• Vitamin A 
• Vitamin E 
• Vitamin K 
• Vitamin B6 
• Fiber
• Protein (often from worms and insects in the grass) 
• Vitamin D (from the sun) 

Studies have shown that chickens who feed on grass are healthier overall than chickens raised in coops.

Yes. If the grass or plants outside have been treated with chemical pesticides, or are contaminated with other animal’s feces, your chicken could get poisoned. Some signs to watch out for: 

• Seizures 
• Lack of appetite 
• Listless and lack of energy

If any of these symptoms occur after they’ve consumed wild grass, take your chicken to the vet immediately. They could have eaten a toxic amount of insecticides or something similarly harmful to their bodies. 

Yes! So long as the clippings are fresh. If the grass clippings in question have been out for longer than two days, they will start to decompose and ferment, a process that will continue in your pig’s stomach and could cause stomach upset and digestive issues. 

To reduce the impact of this, you can dump the clippings into a bucket of water, which will make them last a few days longer (give it 3-5 days in total before throwing out the contents of the bucket). 

• Yes, chicken can eat grass!
• Make sure to avoid grass that’s been touched by insecticides 
• Avoid giving them grass clippings that have been out for over two days as this may cause an upset stomach. Prolong the grass clippings life by dumping them in freshwater

Can Chickens Eat Johnson Grass?

There’s some debate about whether chickens can eat johnson grass, but generally yes, chickens can eat it. Hay from johnson grass is fine, although fresh johnson grass might present problems. If you’re noticing stomach upset, try cutting your fresh johnson grass 50/50 with other hay to see if that helps. 

Do Chickens Eat Grass Seeds? 

Yes, chickens will eat grass seeds and it’s a good source of vitamins and proteins for them. 

Will Chickens Keep Grass Down?

Chickens are foragers so they’ll peck through most grass that you have. If your aim is to get rid of grass and keep it down, chickens will do just that for you. 

What Can Chickens Eat? 

Chickens eat most anything but here’s a non-exhaustive list of healthy treats for them:

• Apples
• Bananas
• Orange
• Pineapples
• Peaches 
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Cabbage
• Cucumbers
• Sweet Potatoes
• Kale
• Grass
• Crickets
• Oats
• Rice
• Nuts
• Meet
• Cheese
• What should my chicken not eat?

Foods to avoid include: 

• Anything moldy 
• Avocado 
• Onions
• Chocolate 
• Pickled foods
• Rhubarb
• Peanuts and peanut butter 

If you have any further questions, feel free to email me!

Related articles: 

• Do Squirrels Eat Grass?
• Can Tortoises Eat Grass?
• Do Butterflies Eat Grass?