How many treats?

[Patoot]

I have 4 RIR. They eat grower feed and I supplement oyster shell and will switch to layer with the next bag of food. They eat lots of grass, bugs, and plants. How do I know what is an okay amount of treats?

What is a good approximate amount per bird of the following, you think:

- BOSS
- raisins
- tomatoes
- yogurt (sometimes mixed with scrambled eggs)
- veggies
- fruit (berries, grapes, melon, etc)

They don't get this everyday. Typically I have been giving them about 4-5 raisins a day each and I'd say less than 1//4 cup of BOSS a day. The yogurt is a couple times a week. The tomatoes are either 2-3 cherries a piece of 1/4 of a whole tomato about 3-4 times a week. Fruit is not too frequent.

Thoughts?

Bree

 

[Judy]

It is usually recommended on here that treats not exceed 10% of their diet.

Here is the BYC treats chart: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[Patoot]

I have seen that. Thank you. However, I don't know what would be 10% of their diet because they eat grass, bugs, and their food all day. I can't measure their other food.

Bree

 

[Chick Charm]

Chickens will naturally forage for anything they can eat. Regular (good ol chicken feed) feed is best. But left with a choice our chickens will naturally seek out what they want. If they get too many "treats" you will notice that their poo is effected. Chickens should be allowed to eat all the grass and greens they want as this is natural and gives them a boost to their immune system. We also benefit by increased Omega 3 in the eggs. Just like us though, too much is not always a good thing. The major portion of their diet should be feed and foraging. Anything above that is icing on the cake so to speak. I personally use the rule of on SMALL handful of treats per bird per day but not always everyday. Wether it be tomatoes, mealworms, yogurt, scratch, grapes or lasagna I limit the amount to as to not effect their system (poo) too much. Hope this helps a little.