COOPED UP! What i do to keep flock occupied and healthy.

[50-45-1]

So Northern Michigan winter is in full swing, and today I wanted to share my cooped up flock and a couple things I do each winter to keep them healthy and occupied.

1 bale of 2nd cutting alfalfa is something I buy each fall. The small leaves are packed with nutrition.

Fiber, Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Chlophyl, and 17-20% Protein.

I feed a small flake a couple times a week. They spend hours scratching it apart.

Another thing I buy from my feed store in the fall is a bag of deer carrots.

Judy the ham!
I feed 2 or 3 of these every couple of days. Carrots supply Vit B6, Vit K1, Vit A, Biotin and Potassium.

They pick them apart until they are completley gone. My chickens egg yolks stay an orange color all winter.

Guineas love it to.
Spring is right around the corner!!

Sammy is keeping her eye out for it!

 

[Egg-Cellent Flock]

That’s really smart! I like those ideas and I’ll probably use them myself!

 

[3KillerBs]

Those are so much better than the common recommendations of scratch, meal worms, etc.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Excellent resourcefulness for relatively inexpensive nutritional boosts. Your flock looks very healthy despite this years brutally cold winter. I know MI winters all too well so I’ll be following you as I get started with a new flock in a few weeks from now. Looking forward to more

I’m in the north central UP with similar climate to yours, formerly from Petoskey.

 

[Sally PB]

I’m in the north central UP with similar climate to yours, formerly from Petoskey.

I used to live in Eastport (north end of Torch Lake), but went south and landed in the greater Grand Rapids area.

This winter was (is, still) a PITA, but hope is blossoming! I'm finally able to dig a few very hardy weeds for the chickens.