Chicken treats!!

[I'm1chickencuddler]

In reading here and there on this site...I have read about treats for chickens.....well...what is considered a chicken treat? I must get my girls some treats....or perhaps grow them...whatever. I want the happiest birds I can attain. I have 2 white mulberry trees that continually drop fruit in their yard they seem to really enjoy. And the mealworm thing for the winter I am still investigating. Chicken treats??

 

[mommahen64]

My 'kids' love shreeded cheddar cheese, oats, and cooked white rice. I haven't figured out the cheese thing but the love it. Tried giving them lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, etc. and they seem to hate veggies. They are only 8 weeks or younger, so maybe they have to grow into veggies. Mine also HATED those dried mealworm treats. Again, maybe a sign of their age. I think I am like you - I love these little fluff balls. Obsessed with good care!

 

[Taylorhens]

Mine love:
-spinach leaves
-watermelon
-scrambled eggs
-any assorted bugs I can catch
-yogurt (with a bit of their crumbles sprinkled on top to get them started)
-the packaged mealworm treats

They aren't too interested in cucumber, lettuce, kale, tomato, turnip, though they will peck at it a bit if I don't give them anything else (besides their crumbles, which they always have)

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Have you seen the Learning Center's treat chart? https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[shepan2]

I consider "treats" to be a fun, healthy little something to add excitment to their day...

At least 5 days a week - I will hang a cabbage from a chain - they LOVE this treat and it lasts about 4 hours before picked clean.

When available, I put about a cup of cottage cheese, sprinkle with old pear slices, blueberries or blackberries or old steamed vegies and make a little "pie" out of everything...this will last about 20 minutes (26 chickens) - Last nite I baked some yams and gave the leftovers to the girls they loved that too!

Expired tuna has been much appreciated (not too expired)..

Corn on the cob is always of fun treat - whenever I see corn on sale at grocery store, I buy 10-15 ears and give them two or three at a time.

Some of the best ideas come from this website!

 

[I'm1chickencuddler]

So pretty much anything healthy that I eat ....they can eat too. Okay...got it. The cabbage head thing strikes me as a bit odd but I will try it. The pen is still "new" to them and there is much to be explored. They can't free range at my house because they are illegal and I want to keep them. I don't want them bored and they have a pretty big area. They scratch and find bugs and worms. When I go out and rake...it stirs up the bugs underneath their poop and hay....they seem to love that.