Can Chickens Eat Green Beans? (Raw & Cooked Green Beans)

Today, let us talk about chickens and green beans.

Green beans are common. Many gardeners and farmers grow them.

On the other hand, chicken keepers are almost always looking for new treats. It seems natural that chicken handlers would eventually wonder if green beans are safe for their little critters.

Well, look no further! We are here to help you with that concern.

Without further ado, let us examine green beans.

This article will cover

• Can Chickens Eat Green Beans?
• Can Chickens Eat Cooked Green Beans?
• Can Chickens Eat Uncooked Green Beans?
• Green Beans, Lectin, and Chickens
• Can Chickens Eat Other Parts of the Green Bean?
• Do Chickens Like Green Beans?
• Are Green Beans Healthy for Chickens?
• Moldy Green Beans
• Can Chicks Eat Green Beans?
• Other Green Treats for Your Chickens

Can Chickens Eat Green Beans?

Yes, chickens can eat green beans, but there are some things you should know as a precaution.

As you might already know, chicken treats can sometimes be complicated. The tomato has taught us that some things are only safe in a particular stage. On the other hand, avocado has taught us that sometimes, not all parts of a treat are safe to eat.

Alternatively, some treats render every part safe at every stage. Take the watermelon, for example.

In the following sections, we will elaborate on these concerns and offer some advice!

Can Chickens Eat Cooked Green Beans?

Yes, cooked green beans are safe for chickens.

Many handlers love giving their scraps to the chickens. This fact should not be surprising as chickens would gobble almost anything and everything up. They would happily eat those scraps!

Since green beans are common, they might usually be part of your scraps. Well, you do not have to worry about throwing those green beans anymore! As we have said, they are safe for your chickens.

There are some things you should note when it comes to cooked beans. Chickens do not need much salt or sugar. If you plan to give them cooked green beans, you might want to skip on the seasonings. Also, you might want to limit the green bean leftovers you give them depending on how much seasoning you have used.

The cooked vegetable itself is not harmful to them, but too much salt or sugar is.

Can Chickens Eat Uncooked Green Beans?

Can chickens eat uncooked green beans? Yes. Do we suggest that you do? No.

You can give your chickens some uncooked green beans, but there are some precautions.

Uncooked green beans contain a substance that is bad for chickens. To add, it is also bad for us! We will elaborate on this topic in the next portion.

Many advise against giving uncooked green beans to your chickens. As we have said, we advise against it too!

However, you do not need to worry if your chickens have accidentally wandered into your garden and eaten some. Some handlers give their chickens uncooked green beans, and their chickens are fine.

If you end up deciding you also want to give your chickens uncooked green beans, then you could. Just make sure you observe them. If you start noticing something wrong with your chickens, it is time to lay off this treat.

What that said, it is the same for any other treat. It is always a good idea to observe your chickens when you introduce new things to them.

Green Beans, Lectin, and Chickens

Uncooked green beans are bad for chickens because it has lectin. This substance is bad for chickens and humans alike. It is a protein, but it is a protein you do not want for your chickens.

Lectin is present in many plants, but not all these plans are inedible. It depends on what type of lectin it has and how much lectin the plant holds.

Despite many plants having lectin, we eat many of those plants. As stated above, one of the reasons for that is that the lectin in it may not even be dangerous or enough to be harmful. Another reason is, heat can break down lectin. Since we cook most of our food, we are safe.

The amount of lectin present in green beans is not enough to harm your chickens with a single peck. That is why some chickens can safely consume uncooked green beans. In this case, it is a good idea to watch and limit how much raw green beans they eat.  

Still, we advise against giving your chickens uncooked green beans.

Can Chickens Eat Other Parts of the Green Bean?

According to chicken handlers, the leaves and stalks are safe for chickens too. To be sure, it would be best to cook everything before giving them to your chickens.

Do Chickens Like Green Beans?

It seems chickens are not a big fan of green beans. They would eat it, but it does not seem to be a favorite.

Also, the chickens would most likely only go for the beans. If you want to feed green beans to your chickens, you might have to take out the beans for them. It is possible they would ignore it if you give this vegetable to them as it is.

It is good to remember that chickens still have their own preference. It would not be surprising if some of your chickens would like green beans, while the other half would dislike it.

Let your chickens have a few bits to see if they like it. If they take a peck and turn their heads, then you have your answer.

Are Green Beans Healthy for Chickens?

When it comes to chicken treats, I personally think fresh produce is much healthier than processed food. Now, if we compare fruits and vegetables, I usually lean more towards vegetables.

Again, chickens do not need much sugar or salt. Processed food usually has an unhealthy amount of either one.

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, you can already tell the fruits have more sugar. Most fruits are still safe to give despite that. You only need to be a little more careful when it comes to the quantity you would provide.

Vegetables, on the other hand, usually do not contain much sugar or salt. You can be a little more lenient when it comes to vegetables. Of course, you still need to limit their intake. Despite being healthy, most vegetables do not have everything your chickens would need.

With that said, green beans are healthy for your chickens. They contain some nutrients that are good for your chickens, such as an assortment of vitamins. Additionally, they don’t have a high level of either sugar or salt.

However, it is only healthy as a treat! It should not be part of the staple diet of your chickens.

100g Raw Green Beans Nutrition

If you want to have a better look at the components of green beans, then you can go here.

Moldy Green Beans

Earlier, we talked about cooked and uncooked green beans. While we advise against giving raw green beans to your chickens, you can still let them have some.

Moldy green beans are a different story.

Do not give chickens moldy green beans. Actually, you should not provide your chickens any food that has mold in it.

Many keepers like giving snacks that are no longer fresh to their chickens. It may be stale treats or food about to go rotten. That’s alright. However, it is good to remember that if the food already has mold, that should go to the bin.

Can Chicks Eat Green Beans?

The general rule is that the chicks could eat what the adults could. There are just some precautions to be taken.

We believe it is the same with green beans, but we advise against it. Take the size of your chicks into account. The beans might be a choking hazard for them. The risk does not seem to be worth it.

If you decide you want to give your chicks this treat, make sure you cook it properly. You might also want to chop and mash it up to make sure it will not choke them.

Also, make sure you are only giving your chicks a few bits. Remember, most of the diet of your chicks should be made up of starter feed at least until the 6th month.

Other Green Treats for Your Chickens

Here are some other treats that you can give to your chickens:

• Cucumbers– It is one of the few fruits that does not have that much sugar. Also, it has a high water content making it a great summer treat.
• Zucchinis – Since we already mentioned cucumbers, we cannot forget zucchinis! These two treats look alike, and you can give them both to your chickens.
• Spinach– You might also want to give your chickens some spinach. It is said to be one of the best vegetables you can give to your chickens.

Summary

Can chickens eat green beans?

Yes, chickens can eat green beans. However, it is necessary to make sure that it is cooked.  

You might see some handlers giving uncooked green beans to their flock. If you want, you can also provide your chickens raw green beans, but it is not advisable.

Green beans have lectin, and it is unhealthy for both humans and chickens. Cooking the green beans would break down the lectin. This step ensures this vegetable is totally safe for your chickens.

Green beans could be a healthy treat. Despite that, remember that it doesn’t have all the nutrients that your chickens need. It should remain a treat and not part of their staple diet.

If you want to know more about different chicken treats, you can go to our chicken feeding tips.