Are Chickens Omnivores?

Believe it or not, chickens are one of the most common domesticated animals in the world, providing us with eggs, meat, and incredible pets. People all over the world keep chickens and a question that often arises is whether chickens are omnivores. What are they actually eating when they’re out and about patrolling your backyard?

First, we need to answer what an omnivore is! Omnivore is a fancy word for an organism that eats both plant and animal matter. Omnivores often have flexible diets, allowing them to adapt to various environments and food sources.

If you’ve had chickens for any length of time you will know that they are indeed omnivores. I love to watch my chickens forage for food as they free range in our backyard. They will hunt for insects like beetles, grasshoppers, ants, worms and other creepy crawly things.

In the same spin around the yard, they will munch on grass, dandelions and other plants such as my flowers! I don’t love that so much. They will gladly scratch around your garden plants and produce too if you let them.

Chickens love a variety of “foods” which is funny because they have far less taste buds than us humans. They can tolerate spicy things like red pepper flakes because their taste buds are much less. For little birds that can’t taste very much, they sure like to eat! Haha!

Free-ranging chickens tend to have a more balanced diet made up of what they find naturally free ranging, while chickens kept “cooped up” or caged may require a more carefully planned diet.

I always provide my flock with a good high quality feed along with their free range time. My chickens don’t always get to free range either because of predators which is another important reason to have a high quality food. I spotted a coyote mid day last week running through the alfalfa field right behind our house.

The girls are throwing a fit every time I keep them inside their run, but it’s for their own good right now. In cases like this, keeping high quality chicken food for them is to make sure their cute little bodies are getting all they need to stay healthy. Also, always provide access to clean water, as hydration is a vital part of their diet. I always include Chicken E-lixir in my chicken’s water. It’s a daily vitamin for your flock that includes organic oregano oil, prebiotics, vitamins, minerals, calcium and electrolytes to keep your chickens at their best!

Chickens are smart and usually know what they can and cannot eat. They also have their favorites which include both meat and plants!

They can enjoy a smorgasbord of food, from juicy bugs to fresh greens and even the occasional spicy treat. It’s fascinating to see how these little feathered friends navigate their world, munching on a mix of plants and insects to keep themselves happy and healthy.

The next time you’re chatting with someone and the topic of chicken diets comes up, you’ll be all set to explain that chickens are indeed omnivores. They love variety and are quite the foodies in their own right.

Whether they’re scratching around the garden or happily gobbling up their high-quality feed, chickens bring a lot of joy—and delicious eggs—to our lives.

Chicken E-lixir – Daily Vitamin for Chickens
Chicken E-lixir is added to drinking water as a daily vitamin for keeping chickens healthy by promoting digestive health. For everyday use, it contains a unique blend of organic oregano essential oil, prebiotics, calcium, vitamins D & E and electrolytes.