Farro is an ancient grain with a nutty flavor and chewy texture.
Lately, farro has reappeared on the food circuit, and you’ll often find farro as a key ingredient in salads.
So, if you have a bunch of chickens in your backyard and you’re wondering if your fowl can munch on some farro, ponder no more.
Yes, chickens can most certainly eat farro.
Chickens aren’t picky eaters, and these amazingly adaptable and resilient creatures being omnivores, will eat most things you offer.
However, responsible chicken owners often ask whether it’s safe for chickens to eat farro and if there are any health benefits in feeding farro to chickens.
Let’s jump right into the topic and take an in-depth look at the nutritional value of farro and how you can present farro to your flightless birds without any adverse effects.
Is Farro Safe For Chickens?
Farro is essentially a mixture of three different species of grain – Einkorn, Emmer, and Spelt. Technically, farro means ‘ancient wheat grain’ in Italian and the most popular kind of farro used in the US and Europe is emmer wheat.
Any proud chicken owner can tell you that grain makes up quite a large portion of most commercial chicken feed.
Farro being a type of grain, is perfectly safe for your chickens.
Also, farro is very nutritional as it is loaded with nutrients like zinc, magnesium, and some vitamin B.
Furthermore, farro is also rich in iron, protein, and fiber.
But, most experienced chicken keepers recommend feeding farro to chickens in moderation.
You see, excessive use of farro in a chicken’s diet can lead to a build-up in your pet’s gizzards.
IAnd, if your chickens aren’t allowed to go around and forage much and don’t have much room to move about, farro can be a very heavy meal for your bird.
Hence, farro should be treated as a snack you provide to your pets as a change in taste.
How Do I Introduce Farro To My Chickens?
The best thing to do before you introduce a new food source to your chickens is to find out whether the food item is safe for your pet or not.
Moreover, it would be best if you always practiced caution when you are about to give something new to eat to your chickens.
Indeed, chickens are very easy to please regarding what they are willing to eat.
Most chickens will try out new food sources, and many will gobble everything down enthusiastically.
Therefore, when you try something new, it’s smart to offer meager quantities and check how your flock reacts to it.
Start with a small amount of farro mixed up with other grains that your chickens eat regularly.
If your chickens finish their meal, you can rest knowing that your birds find the flavor of farro palatable.
On the other hand, if your chickens leave off most of what you gave to them in their feeder, you might want to consider trying out another blend of grains to provide a nibble.
How Often Do I Feed My Chickens With Farro?
If your chickens react favorably to the new treat and finish up their entire snack, you know that you can now add farro to the list of treats you can give to your flock.
Zinc in farro will enhance your flock’s immunity; magnesium will promote stronger bones and muscle function and fiber will encourage gut strength.
But, as you are advised to provide farro as a treat, you should know that wholesome snacks should only make up 5% of your chicken’s daily diet.
Adding other healthy food sources such as vegetables, fruits, and seeds into your chicken meal is also vital.
So, it makes sense to present farro as a snack once every two weeks and keep the other days free for other nutritional goodies.
Can Chickens Eat Soaked Farro?
Yes, it is possible to give soaked farro to your chickens.
But, you need to remember that if you’ve soaked farro in water for too long or kept soaked farro for a day or two and then intend to provide it to your flock as a snack, you’ll only be causing your chickens harm.
Soaked farro spoils quickly and is also quite heavy on the stomach despite the high fiber content.
Now, if soaked farro can lead to an upset stomach in humans, you can imagine what it will do to your chickens.
Can Chicks Eat Farro?
Offering farro to chicks is a bad idea.
You see, chicks need a particular diet that must fulfill their everyday nutritional needs.
Unlike chickens, chicks need at least 18 – 22% protein in their diet to grow.
Protein helps chicks develop bones, muscles, organs, wings, and feathers.
Because chicks don’t have a very developed gut system, giving farro to your chicks will be detrimental to their well-being.
Health Benefits Of Feeding Farro To Chickens
Farro is an exceptional source of fiber for chickens.
Fiber is necessary for your chicken’s diet to build a healthy digestive system and cleanse their gut tract.
The zinc present in farro assists in wound healing, immunity, and breaking down carbs during digestion.
As mentioned earlier, farro contains magnesium too.
Magnesium is useful in strong nerve and muscle function.
Moreover, magnesium also encourages stable heart function and optimizes immunity.
There’s no denying that farro provides chickens with other nutrients, such as protein and vitamin B.
However, you cannot ignore that farro makes for a very heavy meal for chickens.
It’s a tummy filler for humans in salads, with more fiber and fewer calories.
But, your chickens don’t have the same dietary or nutritional needs as you.
So, if you’ve got extra farro leftover, you can offer some to your chickens.
Farro should never be served regularly as a meal to your chickens.
Wrapping Up
Chickens are highly adaptable beings that require very little care and attention.
If you aim to provide the best care for your pet and want a happy and healthy flock of chickens, you will have to be careful with what you give to your winged pets.
Farro can be a meal for you, but your chicken; can never be anything more than a treat given occasionally.
