Hello! In this article I'm going to list some of the best treats for your flock. Keep in mind, though, that all chickens are different. They are certain treats that are good for chickens that mine love and some they don't. If they don't like a treat below, don't worry about it, their all different. Keep an eye on how much of one treat that they eat, because too much of one thing, like protein, is bad for them. Have fun spoiling your flock with all these yummy foods! Remember, you eat what you feed your chickens!
Good Treats
:
Corn
:
Corn is a real good, healthy treat for your flock. Either Cracked corn or corn in the store-bought can, they love it! I don't recommend giving it to them from straight off the cob, I've never tried it on mine, just in case, but you could always do additional research if your really intrigued. You can get fancy brands of corn in a can or the cheap ones, I've tried both, there's no difference to them.
Bread
:
If you have extra heels or slices lying around the kitchen, your hens and/or rooster will love these as a treat! I give mine some a couple times a week. While it hasn't hurt mine, it contains barely any nutritional value, but my flock loves it. White or Whole wheat bread, it doesn't matter which one.
Meal worms
:
(Not what they really look like, only emoji I could find) Dried Meal worms is a great source of protein, however, as mentioned before, too much protein can be a bad thing. Always keep in consideration how much and how often you are throwing out meal worms. I recommend two-three times a week, but if do it differently and it works fine, I'd stay on your normal routine. Pay attention to the ingredients and "extras" (like salt) added to the bag. In the meal worm group of treats, there is also Dried beetles and fly larva. It is also great for birds who don't have access to many bugs, like if they have to stay in a run or coop.
Scratch
:
There are lots of different scratches for chickens out there and, as long as they are good for you birds, not bad, it's a matter of which one they prefer! My chicks love the Dumor Poultry 5 grain Scratch, with all sorts of good things. Scratch is NOT a meal and also should be a occasional treat, since it also is high in protein. I like to feed mine in a small bowl, since sometimes the ground has droppings on it, which they CANNOT eat. It can cause all sorts of bad things like, parasite infections. But if you have a clean area, scratch can be thrown down and encourage the birds to peck at the ground, like they would do in nature. This goes for all treats, don't throw them in an area with droppings or other nasty things.
Eggshells and Scrambled Eggs
:
I know it sounds weird, but if you have extra chicken eggs lying around from all your flock hard work, treat them with a prize that they made! Scramble up eggs for Breakfast and give them the left overs! If your chickens need protein, they are also a great source! I recommend once a week, if you are giving them other treats with protein. Set the eggshells out to dry. YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE DRY!!!! If they are not dry, your hens will start to peck at the eggs they lay. They could break them open and eat the yolk from inside, not hurting them, but a mess to clean and less eggs. Make sure you break them up in tiny, tiny, pieces, so they can eat them. I'd give them a bit at a time to see if they like them.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
:
Like treats before, these are high in protein, so make sure you give small servings at a time. I like to take a cheddar cheese stick and break it into halves or thirds. I shred a bit of that and give it to my flock. They love it! You can also get small bags of the already shredded cheese at the store. Once or twice a week is how I feed it to mine, but, as for all treats, you can do it your way, as long as you don't give them too much of one treat.
Other Treats
:
The following are other good treats:
* Cat Food, high in protein, so have caution.
* Mac and Cheese, feed in halves and only small bits
* Pumpkin, NOT ROTTEN, I give mine a half, though they didn't like, I know someone who's chickens love it.
* Cabbage or Broccoli Head, if you keep your flock locked up in the winter, string a Cabbage or Broccoli to the top of their coop, they hop on top and peck bits off at a time!
I hope this article helped you any if you were in need of ideas for flock treats! Leave a reply if you try one of the above out and your birds like it!
Good Treats
:Corn
:Corn is a real good, healthy treat for your flock. Either Cracked corn or corn in the store-bought can, they love it! I don't recommend giving it to them from straight off the cob, I've never tried it on mine, just in case, but you could always do additional research if your really intrigued. You can get fancy brands of corn in a can or the cheap ones, I've tried both, there's no difference to them.
Bread
:If you have extra heels or slices lying around the kitchen, your hens and/or rooster will love these as a treat! I give mine some a couple times a week. While it hasn't hurt mine, it contains barely any nutritional value, but my flock loves it. White or Whole wheat bread, it doesn't matter which one.
Meal worms
:(Not what they really look like, only emoji I could find) Dried Meal worms is a great source of protein, however, as mentioned before, too much protein can be a bad thing. Always keep in consideration how much and how often you are throwing out meal worms. I recommend two-three times a week, but if do it differently and it works fine, I'd stay on your normal routine. Pay attention to the ingredients and "extras" (like salt) added to the bag. In the meal worm group of treats, there is also Dried beetles and fly larva. It is also great for birds who don't have access to many bugs, like if they have to stay in a run or coop.
Scratch
:There are lots of different scratches for chickens out there and, as long as they are good for you birds, not bad, it's a matter of which one they prefer! My chicks love the Dumor Poultry 5 grain Scratch, with all sorts of good things. Scratch is NOT a meal and also should be a occasional treat, since it also is high in protein. I like to feed mine in a small bowl, since sometimes the ground has droppings on it, which they CANNOT eat. It can cause all sorts of bad things like, parasite infections. But if you have a clean area, scratch can be thrown down and encourage the birds to peck at the ground, like they would do in nature. This goes for all treats, don't throw them in an area with droppings or other nasty things.
Eggshells and Scrambled Eggs
:I know it sounds weird, but if you have extra chicken eggs lying around from all your flock hard work, treat them with a prize that they made! Scramble up eggs for Breakfast and give them the left overs! If your chickens need protein, they are also a great source! I recommend once a week, if you are giving them other treats with protein. Set the eggshells out to dry. YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE DRY!!!! If they are not dry, your hens will start to peck at the eggs they lay. They could break them open and eat the yolk from inside, not hurting them, but a mess to clean and less eggs. Make sure you break them up in tiny, tiny, pieces, so they can eat them. I'd give them a bit at a time to see if they like them.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
:Like treats before, these are high in protein, so make sure you give small servings at a time. I like to take a cheddar cheese stick and break it into halves or thirds. I shred a bit of that and give it to my flock. They love it! You can also get small bags of the already shredded cheese at the store. Once or twice a week is how I feed it to mine, but, as for all treats, you can do it your way, as long as you don't give them too much of one treat.
Other Treats
:The following are other good treats:
* Cat Food, high in protein, so have caution.
* Mac and Cheese, feed in halves and only small bits
* Pumpkin, NOT ROTTEN, I give mine a half, though they didn't like, I know someone who's chickens love it.
* Cabbage or Broccoli Head, if you keep your flock locked up in the winter, string a Cabbage or Broccoli to the top of their coop, they hop on top and peck bits off at a time!
I hope this article helped you any if you were in need of ideas for flock treats! Leave a reply if you try one of the above out and your birds like it!
