Can chickens eat plum skin?

Yes, the skin is fine for chickens to eat along with the flesh. Wash the plum first to remove any residue, and there's no need to peel it before cutting the flesh away from the stone.

Can chickens eat other stone fruit like cherries or peaches?

Yes, in the same way as plums — the flesh is generally fine as an occasional treat, but the stone needs to be removed first for the same reasons. Get into the habit of checking for and removing stones from any stone fruit before offering it to your flock.

Are plum stones poisonous to chickens?

The stone contains a compound that can release a small amount of cyanide if it's cracked open and eaten, so it's best removed before offering plum to your flock. A whole stone is also a choking and blockage risk simply because of its size and shape.

How many plums can chickens eat?

A few pieces shared between the flock, offered occasionally rather than every day, is a sensible amount. Fruit treats including plums should stay a small part of a hen's diet, with a proper layer feed making up the bulk of what they eat.

Can baby chicks eat plums?

It's better to wait until chicks are fully established on chick starter feed before offering any fruit treats, since their digestive systems and nutritional needs are more specific at that early stage. Speak to a vet experienced with poultry if you're unsure when to introduce treats.

Can chickens eat plums?

Yes, chickens can eat plums, and most flocks enjoy the sweet, soft flesh as an occasional treat. The stone needs to be removed first, though — like the seeds in several other stone fruits, it contains a compound that can release cyanide if broken down and eaten, and it's also a choking risk for a bird pecking at a whole fruit.

Why plum flesh is fine, in moderation

The soft flesh of a ripe plum isn't toxic to chickens and most flocks take to it readily, given how much backyard chickens generally enjoy sweet fruit as a change from their usual layer feed. It provides a bit of hydration and variety rather than any meaningful nutritional replacement for a proper diet.

As with most fruit given as a treat, the sugar content is the main thing to be mindful of. A layer feed is formulated to give hens the protein and calcium they need to lay well, and fruit treats, plums included, should stay a small part of the daily diet rather than a substantial one.

Why the stone has to come out

Plum stones, like the pips in apples and the stones in cherries, contain a compound called amygdalin, which breaks down into a small amount of cyanide. A chicken pecking at and cracking open a plum stone is at genuine risk from this, on top of the more straightforward choking or blockage risk of swallowing something that size and shape.

Cut the plum in half and remove the stone before offering it, and don't leave whole plums lying around the run where a bird could get at one unsupervised. This is a simple step that removes the actual risk entirely, while still letting your flock enjoy the fruit.

How to serve it and how much

Wash the plum, cut it in half, remove the stone, and chop the flesh into pieces small enough for your birds to peck at easily. A few pieces shared between the flock, offered occasionally rather than daily, is a sensible amount as a treat.

If a bird eats an unusual amount of any fruit in one go, or seems off afterwards — quieter than usual, off their feed, or with noticeably looser droppings — keep an eye on them and speak to a vet experienced with poultry if it doesn't settle within a day.

Other stone fruit worth knowing the same rule for

The same stone-removal rule applies to other stone fruits keepers commonly offer as treats, including cherries, peaches and apricots — the flesh is generally fine in small amounts, and the stone is the part to remove first every time, for the same cyanide-compound and choking reasons as plums. Getting into the habit of always removing stones before offering any of these fruits to a flock is simpler than trying to remember which fruit needs it and which doesn't.

Seasonal fruit that's naturally overripe or starting to ferment is also worth being cautious with, since chickens can be affected by alcohol produced during fermentation the same as other animals. Offer fruit that's ripe but not past its best, and don't leave windfall fruit lying in the run for an extended period where it can rot before the flock finishes it.

Common questions

Can chickens eat plum skin?: Yes, the skin is fine for chickens to eat along with the flesh. Wash the plum first to remove any residue, and there's no need to peel it before cutting the flesh away from the stone.
Can chickens eat other stone fruit like cherries or peaches?: Yes, in the same way as plums — the flesh is generally fine as an occasional treat, but the stone needs to be removed first for the same reasons. Get into the habit of checking for and removing stones from any stone fruit before offering it to your flock.
Are plum stones poisonous to chickens?: The stone contains a compound that can release a small amount of cyanide if it's cracked open and eaten, so it's best removed before offering plum to your flock. A whole stone is also a choking and blockage risk simply because of its size and shape.
How many plums can chickens eat?: A few pieces shared between the flock, offered occasionally rather than every day, is a sensible amount. Fruit treats including plums should stay a small part of a hen's diet, with a proper layer feed making up the bulk of what they eat.
Can baby chicks eat plums?: It's better to wait until chicks are fully established on chick starter feed before offering any fruit treats, since their digestive systems and nutritional needs are more specific at that early stage. Speak to a vet experienced with poultry if you're unsure when to introduce treats.

Sources

Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.