Can chickens eat grapes?

Why

Grapes are not toxic to chickens the way they are to dogs, and most flocks enjoy them. They are high in sugar, though, so they belong in the treat ration rather than the daily diet, and a whole grape is a choking risk for bantams and young birds. Treats of all kinds together should stay a small share of what a chicken eats in a day, with a balanced feed making up the rest.

If you do feed it

• Halve or quarter grapes, especially for bantams and young birds
• A few grapes per bird at a time, as an occasional treat rather than a daily one
• Scatter the pieces so the whole flock gets a share instead of one bird gorging
• Skip any fruit that has gone soft or mouldy -- spoiled food is never worth the risk

Watch out for

• Raisins and sultanas, which concentrate the sugar of a whole grape into a small package
• Whole grapes fed to small or young birds
• Treats crowding out balanced feed if the flock fills up on fruit
• Mouldy or fermenting fruit from the vine or the fruit bowl

Better choices