What fruit and vegetables your chickens will love to eat most from your garden.

We’ve all lost a plant or two or three to a chicken. We learn to protect and care for plants in different ways when chickens are near by. Fences are no guarantee way to keep a chicken out so knowing which plants in your garden will need extra protection helps in having a successful garden. Here is my list of the top 3 plants in your garden that a chicken will hunt down and eat up.

#1 Tomatoes

 I can’t think of any other fruit a chicken rather eat. The red color of a tomato calls to them. They also love the juice flesh and bountiful seeds a tomato contains. Have you ever noticed the color of a chicken waterer or feeder? If you haven’t take a look at one. Red is a widely used color for chicken feeders and waterers. It’s a color that attracts chickens. This is also why it’s important to keep injured or bleeding chickens separated from the flock. They WILL peck at the wound and continue to further injure or kill the chicken. So if you plant a red fruit or vegetable you best believe they will investigate and peck at it.

#2           Strawberries

Who doesn’t love a great big juicy strawberry? Just like a tomato, strawberries are red when ripe. They also have bountiful seeds and a juicy interior. Strawberries are low to the ground, easy to get to, and delicious. There is nothing wrong with occasionally feeding a strawberry to your chickens. I would recommend preventing them from eating too many sweet and sugary fruits. Just like us too much sugar is bad.

#3           Lettuce

I don’t know what it is about lettuce that chickens love so much. Not only will you have to protect your crop from insects but you will have to fence off your lettuce from the chickens. After making a nice salad I’ll take the lettuce core/butt-end and feed it to the chickens. A feeding frenzy will ensue the second it hits the ground. Chickens from all over the yard will run towards it trying to get a bite. This is definitely one that will need protecting.