Chickens are well-known for their habit of eating anything they can fit in their gullets, but not everything is good or safe for them.
I’d often heard cereals are yummy for your fowl friends, but I only had Rice Krispies when I first looked into this.
I didn’t want my hens to have issues, so I looked into the question: Can chickens eat Rice Krispies cereal?
Chickens can eat Rice Krispies safely as long as there are no added sugars or other pieces like marshmallows. Rice cereals make a tasty food for chickens, but you should always check the ingredients for added ingredients to make sure you know exactly what your hens are eating.
Let’s look at this food and other cereals in more detail.
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Is Rice Krispies Safe For Chickens?
Rice Krispies are made from crisped rice, a safe treat and food for chickens.
It’s natural and serves a similar purpose to other grains.
Cereal grains make up 70% of normal chicken feed anyway, so if you have a low or no sugar Rice Krispie or similar cereal, it’s exactly what you should be feeding them anyway.
Cereal grains are made from the seeds which come from grasses, and they include:
- Wheat
- Millet
- Rice
- Barley
- Oats
- Rye
- Triticale
- Sorghum
- Maize (Corn)
Learn what chickens used to eat before commercial feed by checking out our article at the link.
Rice Krispies cereal and crisped rice cereals are exactly the kind of grain they need.
So is it safe? As long as it’s used in moderation or with specific types of Rice Krispies.
What To Avoid With Rice Krispies For Chickens
Why is Rice Krispies a tricky topic with chickens if they’re just made from rice?
In some versions of the cereal, there is some added sugar to make it taste a little better.
While low amounts of sugar aren’t a big deal with chickens, you don’t want to base their whole diet around something with added sugar.
This will lead to obesity and other health issues.
Added flavors, sugars, and other ingredients are needed for chickens, and they won’t notice a flavor difference too much.
Chickens aren’t picky; they eat whatever they can stick in their mouth, after all.
They’ll even eat nasty insects like stink bugs.
Learn more about chickens and stink bugs in our article talking about the effects of stink bugs on eggs.
Check out the label and look for a lot of extra ingredients. If there are a lot of sugar or chunks of other stuff (like marshmallows), don’t use a lot for chickens.
Can Chickens Eat Cereals?
Each chicken needs 100-120 grams (about a 1/4 pound or 1/2 cup) per day.
Most of this feed is made from cereal grain, so cereals are perfectly fine to feed your pets.
Many people (including us) use their leftover or old cereal to supplement as a treat.
All cereals without a lot of added sugar are good.
Common ones include:
- Cheerios
- Shredded wheat
- Cornflakes
- Granola
- Weetabix
Again, it sounds like we’re harping here, but always consider the particular variety of the cereal. If it has too many sugars or other things, it’s not good for staple food, and as a treat, it should only be used in moderation.
Can Chickens Eat Puffed Rice?
Puffed rice is another way to process and cook rice to make cereal for people. It’s also common as a treat for teething toddlers as moisture dissolves the puff into almost nothing.
This rice still isn’t something you want to feed them a lot of, though.
To get the puff, the rice needs to be cooked in a small amount of oil.
It’s a super low amount, so it’s not a problem for people.
But chickens eat a lot, and if they make a diet of this, they’ll end up with health problems.
Can Chickens Eat Corn Flakes?
Corn Flakes are made by toasting flakes of corn.
As a cereal grain, this is safe for chickens when raw or cooked.
Corn Flakes is usually pretty low in added sugars, but you still don’t want to use the normal brand as a staple food, though it’s safe in small amounts.
Will Chickens Explode If They Eat Rice?
I heard an odd rumor about chickens and rice, especially uncooked rice:
Some people think chickens will explode if they eat too much of it!
The rumor started around the idea that uncooked rice will expand, and if young or baby chicks eat too much and it expands, there’ll be no room for the expansion.
I couldn’t believe this at all, and after researching, asking around, and feeding our own chickens rice, I can firmly debunk this myth.
Uncooked, cooked, puffed, cracked, crisped, or whatever rice is all safe for chickens and won’t cause them to explode.