Are there any high protein snacks that aren't animal based?

[greggooo]

Hi there! LOVE this site and forum. It's been so helpful with our first chickens, from brood to coop.

Question, if anyone can help: We have 6 young chickens. All but 1 loves mealworms and cricket snacks. Piper, just seems to be out little vegetarian. She will snack on greens and LOVES corn, but they don't have protein. Would anybody have any suggestions for protein snacks for a chicken that just doesn't seem to like animal products? Sprouts maybe?

Thank you!

 

[barred2rock]

Black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS) & canned peas.

 

[rjohns39]

Flax Seed, dry roasted Peanuts (unsalted), whole roasted soy, peas, alfalfa

 

[greggooo]

Wow, thank you. This forum really rocks!

 

[Beer can]

I get dry beans from the dollar store, cheap and high protein. You can't feed them uncooked though, contains a toxin until cooked. Sprouting them also takes care of the toxins and store dry beans do sprout great. I grow them in our garden, pound bag costs the same as a little bitty bag from the seed store lol.
If you have purlsane growing in your area, lots of the weed in my garden. Not real high on protein but super nutritious and higher in good omega fatty acids than fish. Chickens love it and I think it tastes great too.
BOSS is great but better shelled which is $$ , some in the shell is good but too much is too much fiber.

 

[greggooo]

Wow! Thanks for all the info! All of a sudden, Piper comes to eat from my hand. Tried cooked navy beans, Alfalfa and clover sprouts, and Boos and regular unsalted sunflower seeds. All hits with my weird little vegetarian chicken... Hopefully, she won't start asking for food ONLY from Whole Foods, but we are good for now!

 

[Patinas]

@greggooo Welcome to BYC! This is the best place for getting questions answered!

Great ideas already posted for your vegetarian hen. I feed my flock unsalted, unshelled peanuts and sunflower seeds as treats. Mine don't really like the shelled black oil sunflower seeds but they gobble them up without the shell. Downside is the unshelled are much more expensive but I only feed it as a treat in small amounts so a bag lasts a long time.

 

[Suzi18]

You can also try scrambled or boiled eggs. My girls love them

 

[rjohns39]

Here's a list for your reading pleasure... It's not all inclusive--but pretty long

 

[DrPatrickBiggs]

Hi there! LOVE this site and forum. It's been so helpful with our first chickens, from brood to coop.

Question, if anyone can help: We have 6 young chickens. All but 1 loves mealworms and cricket snacks. Piper, just seems to be out little vegetarian. She will snack on greens and LOVES corn, but they don't have protein. Would anybody have any suggestions for protein snacks for a chicken that just doesn't seem to like animal products? Sprouts maybe?

Thank you!
View attachment 1130694

Hi there, I would offer that Piper may not need a protein “snack.” She may be getting the nutrition that she needs from her diet. If you are feeding a complete feed, then the birds should be getting all of the nutrition that they need from that diet. Birds are pretty good about regulating their intake to meet their nutrient requirements. In this case, Piper may be getting everything that she needs from her diet and anything else that she has a chance to forage for.