Can chickens eat corn?

Yes, but only a little: chickens can eat corn. Woodgreen lists corn on the cob among chickens’ favorite treats. The British Hen Welfare Trust says a small amount of mixed corn in the afternoon is fine. NC State Extension warns that too much makes hens fat, and Penn State Extension says cracked corn and scratch grain shouldn’t be fed at all, so we err on the side of caution.

How to serve it: a cob to hang up, or a small handful in the afternoon

Good to know: Mississippi State says corn is an excellent feed ingredient but should never be the only feed for hens, nor in combination with complete feeds. Extension.org also lists supplementing complete feeds with cracked corn among common feeding mistakes. Keep scratch, grains and treats together to no more than 10 percent of the daily diet (Oklahoma State).

Kitchen scraps: The rules depend on where you live. US extension services allow small amounts of table scraps, no more than 10 percent of the daily diet (Oklahoma State). In the UK, it’s illegal to feed kitchen scraps to chickens, even pet hens (RSPCA, APHA). In the EU, Germany’s agriculture ministry (BMLEH) says kitchen and food waste must not be fed to laying hens.