Can Chickens eat Grapes?

Can Chickens eat grapes? Yes, they do. However, organic chickens in organic vineyards are wonderful.  I would like to forget using the diesel tractor ploughing between vines, the latest must-have in my organic vineyard maintenance is chickens. Leading the way in the Swan Valley I have introduced chickens to the vineyard to help with the upkeep.

As an organic vigneron in the hot climate grape-producing region of Perth’s Swan Valley, I allowed my chickens to roam the vineyard. The chickens scratch and aerate the soil, peck, and eat seeds and insect larvae. They are doing a lot of work for me.

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Chickens in the Vineyard

Ducks and chickens can be a valuable addition to any vineyard, whether organic or conventional. Hardy and largely self-sufficient, they thrive with a well-maintained vineyard, access to fresh water, and a secure roosting space throughout summer, winter, and spring. But autumn presents a different challenge!

Chickens, by nature, are homebodies. They instinctively return to their coop each evening, making them far easier to manage than ducks. Years ago, we had ducks in the vineyard, but they refused to go home at night. While both ducks and chickens enjoy snacking on grapes, this behaviour made ducks particularly vulnerable.

Each evening, we had to round them up—otherwise, the local foxes would take advantage. A visit from a fox rarely ended well for the ducks, and it was never a pleasant experience for us, either.

Our chickens, however, are much more alert and a bit wiser. While they aren’t entirely safe from the occasional fox, their natural instincts give them a better chance of survival.

Can chickens eat grapes?

During the late summer months (chooks) chickens in the vineyard is not a good thing unless your vines are on a high trellis. Chickens love to eat grapes; to see them jumping is cute. But not economically viable to lose the organic crop you have worked so hard for.

Here the vineyard chickens are locked up behind the house in a large run until all the grape picking is finished. Can chickens eat grapes? Yes, eating grapes is safe for chickens. Can chickens eat raisins and grape seeds? Yes, eating raisins is safe for chickens too.

However, dogs don’t have the right constitution for grapes. Subsequently, their kidney tubes atrophy and a long slow death is imminent. Seek the advice of your nearest vet.

There are reports of chickens devouring whole rows and looking very fat and healthy for their effort.

Can ducks eat grapes?

Yes, ducks will eat grapes just as well as chickens, however, they don’t reach or jump as high as chickens.

Chickens eating grapes in an organic vineyard

Video of; “Can chickens eat grapes” in an organic vineyard.

In the late autumn chickens in the vineyard are wonderful. They clean up all of the vineyard, after the grape harvest has finished, of old dried grapes and enjoy the fresh young shoots of new weeds and seeds.

Rescued Chickens

My current flock of rescued chickens were found on a local egg farm.

The pale combed feather-less things were thin and poorly, but laying eggs every day for a few weeks. Due to the lack of night lights and high protein-crumbed food, they stopped their egg-laying.

The winter’s shorter days make their ovaries shut down and go on holiday until spring comes. During Spring the weather warms up, the days are longer and the chickens become healthier and start laying again.

When they first arrived they huddled together and did not know what to do. When allowed out of the hen house they did know how to scratch.

Later they turned the wood chip mulch over one morning. For some unknown reason, they were very tame not scared of my hands and would eat food from them eagerly.

Chickens settling in

After eight weeks their feathers had all grown back and they started to look like well kept healthy chickens. Now when I open the hen house door in the morning they run out and off exploring as though they have no time to lose.

We love our chickens, they are so inquisitive and cheeky, especially Wendy.  They take off in the morning to their favourite playground during the day. Sometimes the orchard, looks for grubs under the trees, the olives or the mulberry tree.

Other days it’s down the vineyard, turning over the ploughed ground. They search for anything nourishing and living. Grubs and snail eggs get a workout besides the seed bank from the previous winter’s green manure crop.

During a spring long table lunch in the underground cellar, my chicken named Wendy came visiting, checking us out, saying hello and seeking any food scraps we may have dropped.

Organic Vineyard

Some years ago we had an outbreak of vine weevils, however, since the organic chickens arrived we have not seen another outbreak in the organic vineyard.

We were given a mother and some chickens by a couple who had to move house. The mother educated the babies and at night she would spread her wings so that they could all huddle underneath and keep warm.

It was such a delight to watch and so educational to me. All the chickens I have ever seen were orphaned at birth and sent to the chicken farm to be raised into egg layers.

My organic chickens are so tame they will eat out of my hand. They will even talk to you in their peculiar way.  Have you seen a chicken smile?

I swear that once you have something for them to eat they will come running and smile, cocking their heads looking up at you and saying thank you.

We love our organic chickens, so feed a few cold grapes to chickens on a hot day, they will enjoy them!