The full flock-safe reference — built for the moment you're standing over the scrap bucket, phone in one hand, chicken staring at you, wondering if today's the day.
Every chicken keeper has stood over the kitchen sink with a handful of scraps, wondering "wait, can they eat this?" This page is the full answer — everything on your card, plus the extra detail that never fit on a 5.5x8.5in laminated card: the why, the how much, and what to actually watch for.
Tap any item to expand it. Sourced from the Merck Veterinary Manual and UC Davis Poultry Extension — not a substitute for vet advice.
Contain phytohaemagglutinin, a toxin destroyed by cooking. Kidney beans carry the highest risk. Fully cooked beans are completely safe.
Theobromine is toxic to poultry. Darker chocolate carries more risk than milk chocolate. Keep every form out of reach, including compost.
Contain trace amygdalin, a cyanogenic compound. Core the apple first — the fruit itself is a great treat.
Toxic to their cardiovascular system even in small amounts, including grounds in reachable compost.
Stone fruit pits contain cyanogenic compounds concentrated in the pit. The flesh is fine — pit it first.
Contains solanine, concentrated in green skin, sprouts, and leaves. Cooked potato flesh is safe.
No safe dose established; xylitol especially is highly toxic. Check "sugar-free" labels.
May contain xylitol or other unsafe additives. Hard no.
Toxic in any amount, including fermented fruit gone hard in summer heat.
Mycotoxins can cause serious illness. When in doubt, throw it out.
Leaves and stems of tomato, rhubarb, eggplant contain solanine. Ripe fruit is fine in moderation.
Contains persin, concentrated in skin and pit. A common accidental-exposure risk.
Yeast expands and can ferment into alcohol in the crop. Baked bread is fine in moderation.
Great antioxidants, safe in generous quantity. Frozen berries double as a summer treat.
Kernels, cob, husk all fine. Whole cob doubles as enrichment.
Kale, chard, lettuce and more — a staple treat, high in vitamins.
Good protein boost, especially during molt. Remove all bones.
Healthy fats. Pumpkin seeds often cited as a natural dewormer.
Excellent protein. BSFL has far more calcium than mealworms — better for layers.
Safe plant protein — the danger is only in the raw/undercooked state.
Safe plain or lightly seasoned. Good base for homemade mixes.
Peel and all, moderate quantity — high natural sugar.
Basil, mint, parsley, oregano, thyme — safe, and oregano offers added benefits.
Good energy source, safe raw or cooked.
Safe, nutrient-dense, healthy fats.
Safe year-round — doesn't carry raw potato's solanine risk.
Sprouting neutralizes the toxin that makes raw beans/lentils unsafe — once sprouted, an excellent treat.
A great cold-weather treat, warm and filling. Plain, no added sugar.
Ripe flesh fine in moderation — the caution is the plant's leaves/stems, not the fruit.
High oxalic acid, affects calcium absorption — occasional, not daily for layers.
Digested poorly. Small amounts tolerated, more causes loose droppings.
High sodium, low nutrition. Rare exception, not a habit.
Fine in small amounts. Never feed wild-foraged.
Contributes to obesity — occasional, not routine.
Empty calories once baked. Occasional treat only.
Can affect calcium absorption in large amounts — small amounts fine.
Heavy repeated exposure can affect red blood cells — light amounts typically tolerated.
High fat, contributes to liver disease with regular feeding.
High fat — small dab occasionally, avoid added sugar/xylitol.
Sensitive to excess salt — avoid salty scraps like chips or cured meats.
Cooked only, moderation. Raw eggs can teach egg-eating — a hard habit to break.
Per 40–50 lb bag: mix in 1–2 cups dried oregano and ½–1 cup red pepper flakes. Natural antibiotic and immune booster; red pepper supports winter circulation. Chickens can't taste capsaicin.
Raw, unpasteurized with the "mother" only. Supports gut health, may help prevent coccidiosis. 1 tbsp/gallon, one week on, three weeks off. Never use in metal waterers.
Never pool-grade. Sprinkle in bedding, nesting boxes, roosts (~1 cup/10 sq ft). Mix 1:1 with sand for dust baths, wear a mask. Feeding DE directly is unproven.
Squatting and straining, no egg. Warm Epsom soak 15–20 min with gentle massage. Can turn serious within a day — see a vet. Full guide, Merck Vet Manual ↗
Black scab on the pad usually means a staph infection. Epsom soak, wrap, keep bedding dry. Full guide, Merck Vet Manual ↗
Bury hardware cloth 12in out and down around the run — most losses come from digging predators. Full guide, Ohio State Extension ↗
Pale or purple coloring can indicate illness or cold stress.
Lift her out 2–3x daily. A broody cage with no bedding typically breaks the cycle in 3–7 days.
Hens need 14+ hours of daylight. Add a timer-controlled light in winter.
Treats should stay under 10% of daily intake.
Protein goes to feather regrowth, 8–16 weeks, completely normal — see the Molting Protein Mash below.
Laying peaks in years 1–2, naturally declines after year 3.
New flock members, predators, overcrowding, loud noises can all pause laying.
Check under bushes before assuming she's stopped — she may just be laying elsewhere.
A shallow tray of leaf litter with scattered scratch keeps a flock busy for an hour.
Frozen berries in a shallow pan give hens something to peck through when snow keeps them cooped up.
Wood ash or medium-grade sand works best. Add food-grade DE for extra mite prevention.
A flock favorite — as fun to watch as it is for them to peck at.
Taps into natural foraging instinct.
Confessions of a Chicken-Obsessed Founder
I started this whole thing standing at my kitchen sink, holding a banana peel, genuinely not sure if I was about to poison my own flock. I wasn't. But that little jolt of panic is basically why Mighty Calendula exists.
Nobody warns you, before you get chickens, how much of your life turns into Googling "can chickens eat ___." Or how fast you develop strong opinions about oyster shell brands. Or that one day you'll catch yourself mid-conversation with a hen, pausing like she's about to answer back.
I made the card — and now this page — because I wanted that answer to show up faster than a search bar could. More to come: musings, mishaps, mid-molt meltdowns from the coop.
— Mighty Calendula
Homemade treats built from what's already safe above.
A no-cook, poured treat block — enrichment, protein, and calcium in one slow-pecking activity.
Foraging fuel for boredom-buster afternoons.
Feather-regrowth fuel for the awkward molt months.
A hot-day peck-and-cool popsicle for the flock.
What do you call a chicken looking at lettuce?