horse sweet feed as a treat?

[abhaya]

would house sweet feed work as a treat? I am trying to think of a way to keep my free range flock way from the house. I was thinking if I could put some kind of treat they like in the woods behind the barn they wouls stay there better. What kind of food/treat could I toss up in the woods to keep them interested in staying out there. any ideas.

 

[dsqard]

I don't know about horse sweet feed as a treat for chickens but there are things called flock blocks or forage cakes. Here is a link to one so you can get an idea of what they are. http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/chickens/Original-ForageCake-Supplement-Chickens-only-p840.aspx I would think you could put one of these where you want your chickens to hang out.

 

[halo]

I think horse sweet feed must be a big treat for them, as they all run and clean up after my horses. Its the first place they run when I let them out.

 

[Camelot Farms]

My chickens always swarmed around the feed buckets when there was sweet feed to be dropped by sloppy horses. lol

 

[dsqard]

Here is a link to how to make your own flock block! https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=111647 I think I am going to try to make one to break up the boredom going on in the pen.

 

[kateseidel]

My spoiled free range hens eat their flock block only as a last resort. They really like it when I mix up a batch of warm mash for them when I do the horses (soak a scoop of equine feed with hot water, throw in a handful of scratch). The ponies don't get sweet feed, so the hens won't either, but the equine feed and scratch combo is pretty close.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

We have never fed sweet feed to our chickens but they do eat any that get spilled or left by the horses. It hasn't hurt them. I don't think it would be good for them to eat a whole lot of it though because of the salt and other stuff.

 

[Ohhhdear]

Mine love horse sweet feed. I use it as a supplement, soaking a fistful in hot water with some of their regular feed, table scraps, leftover veggie water from last night's supper, and some scratch grains.
With our hard Michigan winter weather, the extra energy the molasses in the sweet feed helps my girls stay warm and producing.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

We fed our sheep a balanced feed that we had mixed with a little molasses as a binder in the winter, in addition to hay. When the grain bucket came out, the chickens went wild for it. They'd stand below the sheep and catch any that fell out of their mouths.

My parrot loves anything made with molasses, too.