Topic of the Week - Feeding Treats

[newkfarm]

We haven't started giving treats, so I love this thread. Definitely following!

 

[perchie.girl]

Many of us like to give our flocks a little treat now and then, beside their usual feed. So this week I would like to hear you all's thoughts on feeding treats. Specifically:

- At what age can you start offering chicks treats and how do you go about it?
- What treats do you give your flock?
- How much, and how often do you feed treats?
- What treats should NOT be given to chickens, or given in moderation?
- What are your flock's favourite treats?

I only answered the first one.... in the beginning....

One thing that dictates my "supplementation" is my climate. I live in the High desert. There is no grass to speak of. I cannot allow them out to free range because of coyotes. At the time I had about thirty to thirty five chickens and about ten Guinea Fowl.

- What treats do you give your flock?
- How much, and how often do you feed treats?

Boss or Black oil Sunflower seeds... everyone gets them Horse, Goats, Chickens.... a scoop full equal to a one pound coffee can a couple of times a week when I have it.
A flake of leafy Alfalfa about once or twice a month. About ten pound flake it offers up excellent protien and minerals as well as entertainment...
Catfish pellets to replace the insects they dont get to have. I mix it with the daily feed at the rate of one scoop to five.

- What treats should NOT be given to chickens, or given in moderation?
I dont feed Meal Worms

- What are your flock's favourite treats?
Cooked Food from the table. Fruits and veggies and meat.

Finally when I get things set up again I will be doing Black soldier fly larva. They are non invasive and excellent composters. easy to setup for self feeding.

 

[tmarsh83]

I'm probably in the minority, because I think many of the items people consider "treats" aren't really treats.

Vegetables and fruit are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are low in calories, and low in fat.

Aside from a handful of scratch (mostly in winter, before they roost in the evening, or to gather them for some reason), or the occasional heel of bread, anytime I have food scraps or garden waste, the chickens get it. Sometimes it is cleaned up right away, sometimes it takes a few days.

They always have 18% all flock pellets available and they free range.

I still can't wrap my mind around the notion of anything that isn't a pellet or a crumble being a treat. Sure, scratch is chicken cookies or soda pop, but fruits and veg quality items that provide nutrients in the raw form.

I categorically refuse to call those "treats."

 

[BantyChooks]

Many of us like to give our flocks a little treat now and then, beside their usual feed. So this week I would like to hear you all's thoughts on feeding treats. Specifically:

- At what age can you start offering chicks treats and how do you go about it?
- What treats do you give your flock?
- How much, and how often do you feed treats?
- What are your flock's favourite treats?

I feed chicks "treats" at any time from day 1 up as long as they have grit. I've never seen a momma hen restrict access to the scraps I throw to the main flock, so I don't see any reason why there should be an age minimum. They don't usually get many until they're moved out to the flock though, which is 2-4 weeks of age depending on weather.

I give my flock anything and everything edible that is a cast-off from the kitchen. Long as it ain't too moldy to figger out what it is, into the chicken bucket it goes... I don't do any special routine or limit, some weeks they get several watermelons and/or two bushels of corn cobs, and other weeks carrot peels might be all they get.

My flock's favourite treat is earth worms. They're carriers of several worm species though, so I don't feed them to the flock on purpose. Human food wise they seem to love ground beef, popcorn, and scrambled eggs. Ducks seem to enjoy watermelon the most.

 

[casportpony]

• At what age can you start offering chicks treats and how do you go about it?

My brooder raised chicks don't get too many treats, but once they are about a week old treats might include mealworms, store bought crickets, alfalfa leaf, and wheat grass. Chicks raised by hens get whatever the rest of the flock gets.

• What treats do you give your flock?

Table scraps, meat, fish, bread, fruit, veggies, scratch, BOSS, basically anything that's not on the toxic to birds list.

• How much, and how often do you feed treats?

They probably get a little something something every day.

• What treats should NOT be given to chickens, or given in moderation?

My flock is not fed any of the foods listed here: https://www.beautyofbirds.com/toxicfoods.html
Never anything with mold, or anything that smells off. No bones.
All treats are given in moderation.

• What are your flock's favorite treats?

Mealworms, crickets, egg, meat, fish, all veggies, fruits, breads.

 

[Susanhen]

The first chicks I have ever had are currently brooding in my bathtub, so this is very informative.

My adult girls free range so they have their way with garden tomatoes and the compost pile (kitchen scraps like apple cores, romaine ends, egg shells, watermelon, squash, etc.). Occasionally when we make bacon we'll make an extra piece and toss it to them in the yard. I know it's not healthy (everything in moderation) but they love it! I never ever throw any type of poultry scraps or avocado parts in the compost. They also make their way to our BOSS birdfeeder and peck around the ground underneath to find what the squirrels have dropped. And of course they have a great love of mealworms, and are conned into returning to their coop every afternoon with them.

 

[chickengr]

I've heard that Apple and tomato seeds are toxic to chickens. I give cut-up apples to my flock if I've made salad for the bearded dragon, but even then it's been cored so no seeds. I don't give them tomatoes at all (because I'm not going to the trouble of seeding a tomato) but I'm sure they would love it if I did. Is this a real thing or am I being paranoid?

my chickens love tomatoes. never heard that tomato seeds are toxic. apple seeds yes but not in small quantities.

 

[chickengr]

Can you feed chickens cilantro stems... or is it bad for them?

it is good and my chickens love it.

 

[mymilliefleur]

- At what age can you start offering chicks treats and how do you go about it?
In the first week I start adding clumps of grass and weeds to the brooder. I also feed the chicks some cooked egg (either hard boiled or scrambled) and either yogurt or clabbered milk.

- What treats do you give your flock?
In the winter I will feed some sun flower seeds or suet if its really cold. Other then that i don't really feed treats per se. Left overs, veggie scraps, egg shells, and weeds from the garden are all standard fare here. I also drain off clabbered milk and make cottage cheese for my birds on a regular basis. Every once in a while I throw the birds i package or two of liver.

- How much, and how often do you feed treats?
Like I said above, I really don't feed out a lot of treats. Every evening I mix the days scraps with clabbered milk and I feed out about a 5 gal bucket of that every evening to my flock of ~100 birds.

- What treats should NOT be given to chickens, or given in moderation?
You should never feed your birds salty and/or sugary foods. Basically anything that is considered ''junk food'' for humans is junk food for chickens too. Things like avocados and dried beans are toxic to chickens. Also, high energy ''candy'' like bread and scratch grains should be limited.

- What are your flock's favorite treats?
Scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, cooked rice, and raw liver.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: It's not the seeds, it's the leaves and stems.
Quote: above from: https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/foods-toxic-pet-birds/