Can Chickens Eat Tomatoes, Plus These Other 25 Foods

There’s been an influx in chicken keepers over the last couple of years. They’re often asking if they can feed specific kitchen scraps or garden waste their new flocks. Specifically, they want to know can chickens eat tomatoes and other nightshade vegetables. We’re giving details on that question, and answering you on another 25 foods frequently asked.

Can Chickens Eat Tomatoes?

The short of it is YES, but there’s more to consider when asking whether or not can chickens eat tomatoes. My chickens have eaten plenty of tomatoes out of my kitchen scraps for many years. I can’t recall a single time that they became ill after eating tomatoes.

Chicken Diet, Diversity is Key

Chickens need a variety of foods to keep a balanced diet. This way, they can get a wide range of nutrition to stay healthy. Chickens are opportunistic feeds, scavengers, gladly taking in whatever they come across.

Learn more on feeding chickens a well-rounded diet, including grit.

What Do Chickens Naturally Eat?

Chickens are omnivores originating from the jungles of South Asia. They might come across a multitude of bugs and other small creatures for protein. They also forage on green grasses and plants that they might stumble upon.

Free range, domesticated chickens eat much the same diet. In my fields, they specialize in picking apart weeds and scratching through cow pies in search of undigested grain and fly larva. 

If they find a way into a vegetable garden, they’ll certainly ruin your produce, tomatoes included.

Primary Food Source or Supplemental Food?

Tomatoes should not be a primary food source for your chickens. You should provide them with a chicken feed that has been formulated specifically for them. This will provide a good base with the essential nutrients that all chickens need. You can supplement with tomatoes or another healthy treat if you like.

Do Chickens Like Tomatoes?

Definitely. They seem to be drawn to the red tomatoes before other veggies when I throw a bowl of scraps to them.

Health Benefits of Feeding Tomatoes to Chickens

According to Health.com, tomato fruits are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium, and Folate. All of those nutrients are not only good for you and me, but these benefits of tomatoes are good for chickens too.

Can Feeding Fresh Tomatoes Affect Their Egg Production?

Feeding tomatoes to chickens should not affect their egg production. You’ll likely get brighter yolks in your eggs too.

Safety First, Minimize Health Problems

You don’t want to overfeed your chickens tomatoes.

Tomato plants are part of the nightshade family, containing toxic solanine. An overdose of solanine can affect the chicken’s nervous system, cause gastrointestinal upset, and sometimes death.

Keep from feeding your hens tomatoes in large quantities. Instead, use them as a healthy snack in small amounts.

How Often Should I Feed My Chickens Tomatoes?

It’s a good idea to limit tomatoes from backyard chickens’ regular feed to protect their digestive systems. The best way to feed them is sparingly, spacing out feedings by at least a day apart.

Ripe Tomatoes Vs. Unripe Tomatoes

Ripe tomato fruit are safer than unripe tomatoes. Unripe tomatoes have a higher concentration of the solanine toxin.

Can I Feed My Chickens Unripe Fruits From the Tomato Plant?

You can, but I wouldn’t feed them regularly. If they happen to get into your tomato plants and peck at your green tomatoes, don’t fret. They’re probably going to be just fine.

Cooking Tomatoes

You don’t have to cook tomatoes before feeding them to your chickens. However, cooking tomatoes and making them into tomato sauce generally breaks down the toxin enough to become mostly harmless. 

Raw Tomatoes

The raw tomato is just fine to feed to your adult chicken flock.

Moderation is Key

Avoiding large amounts of tomatoes for your chickens will help you safely feed them the tasty treat. Make sure that you offer them a wide variety of foods to support their digestive system. Adding in leafy greens and different fruits will help balance out the tomatoes.

I highly recommend that you avoid feeding tomatoes to your baby chicks. Since they are so small, the dose of solanine will affect them more quickly.

What About Every Other Part of the Tomato Plant?

Like the tomato fruit, every other part of the plant has a toxic amount of solanine. The green parts of the plant have even more solanine than the fruit.

Can Chickens Eat Tomato Leaves?

A few leaves off the tomato plant will probably not harm your birds. But I wouldn’t pull my entire crop of 100 plants at the end of the season and throw them in the chicken coop. That might be a bit much.

Can Chickens Eat Tomato Flowers?

Yes, chickens can eat tomato flowers without harming their overall health.

Can Chickens Eat the Stems of the Tomato Plant?

Chickens might peck at tomato stems a little bit, but they generally won’t eat them. They much prefer the other parts of the plant. But just so you know, the stems are filled with solanine.

Can Chickens Eat Tomato Seeds?

Absolutely. When feeding chickens whole tomatoes, most of the seeds will pass through them and excrete in their manure. If you use this in your garden, you’re sure to find plenty of volunteer tomatoes. 

Avoid Moldy Tomatoes

Rotten fruits are fine, but any kind of moldy foods are not. Now that I’ve gotten that piece of information out, I have to confess. I’ve given my chickens moldy foods often, and I’ve yet to see a problem because of it. I just wouldn’t make moldy foods part of their regular diet.

What Chickens Can and Can’t Eat

Here’s a list of other foods that new poultry owners frequently ask about. This is not a comprehensive list, but it’ll give you an idea of what might cause adverse effects or make a good treat.

1. Can Chickens Eat Peppers?

Yes. Like tomatoes, peppers are members of the nightshade family. Follow the same general guideline of feeding in moderation applies.

2. Can Chickens Eat Lettuce?

Yes, chickens love lettuce, especially dark green lettuces. Avoid iceberg lettuce though as it is likely to cause digestive distress.

3. Can Chickens Eat Cilantro?

Yes, chickens can eat cilantro, along with most any other herbs.

4. Can Chickens Eat Cucumbers?

Yes. Without a doubt, and without limiting them, feeding a cucumber on a hot day makes a nice, juicy treat for your chickens.

5. Can Chickens Eat Cabbage?

Yes, Cabbage, like other leafy greens, is a meets several nutritional needs for your chickens.

6. Can Chickens Eat Carrots?

Yes. Chickens can eat carrots. They love the green tops and the actual root part will brighten their yolks. You may want to cut carrots into manageable pieces for them to eat.

7. Can Chickens Eat Celery?

Maybe. Feed celery in moderation. I prefer to feed them the tops as a food scrap instead of giving them the stalk.

8. Can Chickens Eat Onions?

No. They will gladly eat them, but they shouldn’t. Chickens can succumb to onion toxicosis pretty quickly.

9. Can Chickens Eat Raspberries?

Yes, raspberries are safe chicken treats.

10. Can Chickens Eat Blackberries?

Yes, chickens can eat all the blackberries they want. Just so long as they stay out of my planted patch of thornless berries.

11. Can Chickens Eat Blueberries?

Yes, blueberries are also very good for chickens. Unripe blueberries might not be the best thing for them, but they probably won’t eat them anyway.

12. Can Chickens Eat Pineapple?

Yes, chickens can eat pineapple, in fact, it’s one of the most nutritious fruits for them.

13. Can Chickens Eat Pears?

Yes, chickens can eat pears without negative issues.

14. Can Chickens Eat Cheese?

Yes, thankfully, because my chicken get all of my failed cheeses from my home dairy kitchen.

15. Can Chickens Eat Sweet Potatoes?

Yes, cooked sweet potatoes are super healthy for your birds.

16. Can Chickens Eat Peaches?

Yes, if they have access to your peach trees, they’ll be in heaven. Peaches are another nutritious treat for your hens.

17. Can Chickens Eat Grapes?

Yes, chickens can eat grapes and even raisins too.

18. Can Chickens Eat Cashews?

Yes, but it’s recommended that you break them up into smaller pieces, so they have an easier time eating them.

19. Can Chickens Eat Apples?

Yes, chickens love apples, but try to remove the seeds first. Apple seeds contain cyanide and birds have a hard time metabolizing it.

20. Can Chickens Eat Popcorn?

Yes, chickens can eat popcorn, but you don’t want it to have a lot of butter and salt.

21. Can Chickens Eat Bread?

Of course, chickens can eat bread. Again, avoid moldy bread though.

22. Can Chickens Eat Potatoes?

Maybe. Cooked potatoes are okay in moderation. Green potatoes or raw potatoes are not. They are also high in solanine, even higher than tomatoes are.

23. Can Chickens Eat Chicken Eggs?

Yes. Don’t get weird about this. It’s not cannibalism. When we have an abundance of eggs, we cook them and feed them back to our hens for added protein. They love it too. 

Do not feed them raw eggs, as they may begin pecking their own freshly laid eggs before you collect them from the nest box.

24. Can Chickens Eat Nuts?

Yes, chickens can eat nuts. Refer to notes on cashews above.

25. Can Chickens Eat (drink) Milk?

Maybe. Pasteurized milk may cause digestive problems for your hens. Raw milk can be fed by soaking their grains in it, or by clabbering it first. Raw milk provides added calcium to your chickens too.

My hens frequently get raw milk as noted in this post.

Conclusion – Can Chickens Eat Tomatoes

​As you can see, chickens can enjoy the occasional juicy tomato as a delicious treat. They need a balanced diet of chicken feed, grasses, and insects.  The good news is there’s a whole lot of other different treats that you can give them too.

But Wait, There’s More

Are you wondering what’s the best breed of chickens to raise for eggs? We have the entire rundown in The 21 Best Chicken Breeds For Your Backyard Flock  to help you decide what’s best for you.

Perhaps you’d like to take the next step in chicken keeping on your homestead. We give you all of the details on the best way to grow out meat chickens, from hatchery to freezer, in this downloadable e-book.

Both egg layers or meat birds can be easily kept in this easy-to-assemble chicken coop. Check out our full review on converting it to a movable coop for your small farm.

​Happy Chicken Keeping!

Donna and her family have been homesteading for most of their 20+  years together in some shape or fashion. She currently lives on their 20 acre farm where they grow as much food as possible. What started as a just a few laying hens, has grown into large gardens, pastured poultry, pork, and lamb. They are continuously evolving their small farm to not suit their family’s needs, but also providing to their local community. Donna’s favorite part of the family farm is her self-built micro-dairy, where she gets to love on dairy cows while serving her local community. Milking, cheesemaking, and processing dairy have become the soul of their homestead and the center of their farm.