Chicken treats

[leander34452]

I have read several posts regarding "treats" for your sweet little chix. Can you expand on what you are giving them as treats? I have 6 chix that run to me when I go into the back yard. I know they are looking for something special. So far, I have given them raw ground venison (they went nuts), black oil sunflower seeds, warm yellow grits (cooked and in 30 degree weather) and that is about it. I need something new for them. When they ate the grits it stuck to their beaks and they wiped their beaks on the ground to get rid of the excess grits. These terrific little chix are so much smarter than people think. I called one by name the other day (she was outside of the fenced area) and she came running to me. This is the only one I have never held.
Anyway if there are some great treats that I could be giving them please let me know. I want to make their lives as good as they can be, and eating is one of their primary pleasures. Thank you.

 

[mlmadura]

I live in Mississippi and it gets pretty hot in the summer and pretty cold in the winter.
In the winter I take oatmeal and add hot water and some time raisins or other little tidbits I have left over from cooking - I save all my egg sheels and keep them crushed up- I add some of this and they go mad!!!!
In the summer my chicks ADORE... chickencicles - I take plain yogut ad some dry oatmeal and chop a handful of grapes of apples and put it in gallon ziplocks and smash it to 1/2 inch thickness - I lay this flat iin my freezer and when its hot I will break off a few chunks - they love it!!!!

Mine like grapes, LOVE pasta and rice, small tomatoes or chop them any fresh veggies - if im making veggie trays for my kids i chop all the ends and insides of bellpepper for the chicken or left over salad or coleslaw

Mine are ADORED PIGGIES!!!!

 

[leander34452]

thank you for all the wonderful suggestions. I live in Florida and it gets pretty hot and your frozen treats sound wonderful for this summer heat coming up. I will make these for them and I do thank you for these great ideas. I am fairly new at this and have no one here into chix, so your help is really appreciated!!!!!

 

[gritsar]

Don't forget the ice cold watermelon. It's a favorite summertime treat around here for humans and chooks.

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Here is the wonderful Treat Chart list maybe you will find it helpful.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Quote:
LOL You are the only other person I have heard talk about chickencicles. I do this too but I just give frozen mixed veg. Maybe I will try your kind too! Thanks for the idea!

 

[GoldenSilverLaced]

That's a great idea about the chickensicles, I will have to try it this summer.

Some of the girls' favorites are yogurt, oatmeal, spent brewer's grain (this is used in the beginning of the beer brewing process, so there is no alcohol at all in it whatsoever...they LOVE it, especially warmed up), bananas, homemade granola (oats, nuts, coconut), worms (you could get nightcrawlers from WalMart, etc for fishing...we just dig them out of the garden, and the girls dig them up too when they're loose), moths, apples...

 

[HenNewbie]

How soon can I start giving my babes treats?? They are 11 days old. I was told not to add the grit (?) until 14 days. Do I need to wait to give them treats until then?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Hi and welcome to BYC.
Different folks have different philosophies on when to start treats. I started at 10 days old - plain yogurt and chopped hard boiled eggs. I didn't add grit until they were eating foods other than their chick starter and the "soft" foods like the yogurt and cooked eggs.
P.S. It's a good idea to start your own thread when you have a question. Otherwise it's considered hijacking.

If you don't know how to start your own thread, PM me and I'll be happy to help you out.