Can Chickens Eat Green Beans?

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The green bean is a legume, personally one of my favorite vegetables, but I have always consumed it cooked, if you are thinking of feeding green beans to your chicken, maybe raw, this information will be useful.

Green beans are known because they are eaten fresh just like peas and because they have a lot of fiber and vitamins.

Perhaps the nutrient information is a bit redundant when it comes to feeding a chicken since the biggest concern chicken breeders have is whether the food will not be harmful to the bird’s health.

But it is important to point out that generally when it comes to legumes and vegetables, there is the notion that feeding chickens are very healthy, when in fact there are potential risks of harming the bird’s health, especially when excesses are made.

In the case of the green bean, although both the pod and the seed are soft and could be digested by the chicken, it is not recommended to feed the chickens, because green beans contain lecithin, a protein that works as an anti-fungal and natural insecticide for plants.

Lecithin is highly resistant to digestive enzymes. As a result, they adhere to the surface of the cells in the digestive system, causing disorders in the digestive system.

It is likely that the possible digestive system disorders caused by the consumption of green beans, would occur in the case of feeding chickens in large quantities and raw, anyway there is no conclusive evidence and it is best to avoid the risk.

In this case, it is necessary to use our common sense, the options are either not to feed the green beans at all, as a precaution, or to feed them in very reduced quantities and mixed with other foods. Chickens has much better instincts to eat, and if it detects that a vegetable is toxic it will not eat it.

Certain beans contain higher amounts of lectin than others, which means that some may be safe to eat raw.

Therefore, although feeding small amounts of raw green beans to chickens may be safe, it is best to avoid taking the risk if it is not very necessary.

Are green beans toxic to chickens?

During the research for the development of the topic, I found information that stated that chickens cannot eat green beans because they contain a toxic agent called phytohemagglutinin.

I decided to investigate further…

Phytohemaglutinins are a kind of lecithin, or a derivative of these, we already mentioned that green beans contain lecithin and that this can bring inconveniences to the digestive system.

But actually, not all lecithins are toxic.

Phytohemaglutinins, the alleged toxic agent, is found in many bean species, but where they are found in highest concentration is in red beans (Phaseolus vulgaris).

The unit of measurement of the toxins is the hemagglutination unit (hau). Raw red beans contain 20,000 to 70,000 hau, while when fully cooked they contain 200 to 400 hau.

White beans, another variety of Phaseolus vulgaris, contain about one-third of the amount of toxin contained in the red variety; beans (Vicia faba) contain 5 to 10% of the amount contained in red beans.

Perhaps green beans have a lower amount of phytohemagglutinin, but this is not a justification for ingesting it raw, .or what I am trying to do is try to clarify the issue a little more.

As a general rule, in a greater or lesser proportion, eating raw beans is not recommended, either for humans or animals.

Can chickens eat cooked green beans?

It is well known that when vegetables are cooked some of their nutrients are lost, this is not a totally proven fact although it seems logical, anyway, the fact that green beans are cooked makes it possible that they can easily be chicken food.

In fact, cooked vegetables may reduce the content of some water-soluble vitamins, such as folate and vitamin C, which help prevent birth defects and cell damage, respectively.

In addition, most lectins in raw green beans are inactivated when boiled or cooked to 212°F (100°C).

cooking green beans can enhance the antioxidant component, especially the content of important carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin

Can chickens eat frozen green beans?

Chickens can eat frozen green beans, as long as you keep in mind the principles discussed above raw beans, provide the green beans in moderation.

Frozen green beans, while appearing raw, are usually pre-cooked at high temperatures in a short time and then frozen for later marketing.

Frozen green beans will most likely not contain the same nutrients as fresh beans, although this will depend on the type of freezing, there is another aspect to consider.

There are some packages of precooked and frozen vegetables on the market that contain, in addition to the vegetables, fats, sugars, and other unhealthy components.

This is not going to pose a serious danger to the chicken, but you have to keep in mind that it may not be as super healthy as you might imagine.

In general, dietary fiber and most other minerals are not affected by the process of freezing or the previous steps.

Can chickens eat green beans from a can?

Chickens can eat canned beans without problems, the only “drawback” is that green beans have fewer nutrients and are low in calories.

The nutrients in canned green beans can vary according to the type and quantity of the vegetable, as well as other factors that may play a role in modifying their nutrients.

Remember that depending on the preparation of canned green beans, their properties and nutritional characteristics may vary.

Can chickens eat green bean leaves?

It is very possible that the hens can eat the leaves of the green beans, these leaves are not toxic, because they are even ingested by other animals, including birds such as sparrows.

The color of the green bean leaves is dark green, generally, the leaves of vegetables with this color are dense in nutrients and contain filling proteins.