Why not spoil them?

[Ms Biddy]

Obesity in chickens contributes to fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome, egg binding, prolapse, heart problems, joint problems, decreased laying, heat stroke and decreased fertility to name a few.

So no, we don't spoil our chickens with treats. Their primary treat is being allowed outside to exercise and look for seeds and insects. As a boredom buster in summer they get some garden veggies that I chill for them. In cooler weather I like to ferment some of their feed. The veggies are low calorie cucumbers and zucchini, one or two a day split between whole flocks of 13+ birds. I throw a handful of meal worms or scratch to get them in their run if I need to, which is one or two worms per chicken two or three times a month at most. Mealworms and scratch are junk food in my opinion and should be used really sparingly just like me with french fries. If I had someone to be as strict with me as I am with my chickens, I'd be better off for it for sure.

 

[Morrigan]

I think it is a fine line between what is a "treat" and what is a normal and healthy thing for a chicken to eat. In the spring, when it is green here, the chickens eat a lot less bagged feed and more grass, dandelions, mallow, insects, etc. And, their eggs that time of year are a thing of beauty -- deep orange yolks, and dense whites.

When that green spring, goodness dries up, I like to keep their diet varied by giving them older, or buggy vegetables and fruit from my garden, sprouted fodder, as well as meal worms and sunflower seeds. I give them alfalfa in the winter. I can never replicate the "spring" eggs completely, but I can come close.

I'm also skeptical that the bagged food is "perfectly formulated" for the chickens. Bagged food has been formulated to be the absolutely cheapest way of keeping a chicken in reasonable enough health to lay as many eggs as possible. And, that is perfectly fine. It's convenient and inexpensive, is does the job, and is certainly worlds better then tossing in a loaf of Wonder Bread and a handful of scratch.

But, if bagged food was perfect, the supermarket eggs would look as good, or better, than the eggs from a free-ranging chicken eating a varied diet.

 

[cwelte]

Our hens are still growing, and while they LOVE mealworms, that's a "sometimes" treat. They've been loving watermelon, but honestly, the best treat that they really love is not really an "eating" treat. When I cut the grass, I take the first full bag and dump it in their run. They go nuts! They scratch for bugs and eat some of the grass, but they'll scratch and move the pile over the course of a few days to a shady spot under the coop where they nest in it. I clean it out after a week and they have to wait another week or so before I do it again. It's funny, before they'd hide when they heard the mower start up, now they run to the edge of the run waiting for me to dump the bag.

 

[Shadrach]

The chickens here free range; they free range the compost heap, the donkey middens
the sheep droppings, butterflies, spiders, grass, flower seeds and pods, the figs that fall, the grapes that fall, walnuts, almonds, cherries, the list is endless.
Occasionally they eat something that gives them a bad stomach and what they eat may not be as good for them as layers feed or whatever processed chicken food one can buy.
With free range chickens you can't really regulate what they eat and my guess is they eat a lot less crap than most humans.
Treats, not sure what the word means in this context; anything that isn't manufactured specifically for chickens?
The chickens here don't like the layers feed much. It's mainly fish based and given a choice they would rather a bit of steamed cod.
Chickens have been getting along just fine without layers feed for centuries.
Watching the mums here show what's good to eat and what isn't to the chicks casts some doubt in my mind on the opinion that they're dumb and will eat anything put in front of them.
So, if I give them walnut bits which i keep in my pocket, or cooked sardines once in a while are these treats?
Of course, some common sense is needed; best not to feed them hamburges and crisps sweets etc; I mean really, that would be making them as stupid as we are and that wouldn't be good.

 

[andreanar]

I treat my chickens daily. I use scratch to get them to go where I want them to or call them to me for check ups. They get fruits and veggies and sometimes Ill buy them some live mealworms.

 

[Mosey2003]

Before balanced commercial feed was available or before people could afford it, sure. But now we have complete feed, so anything other is considered a treat. I'm betting chickens live longer these days on the whole too, partly because of the good feed available, and partly because Mom doesn't go out every Sunday and wring a neck for dinner, lol.

 

[Dona Worry]

Mine have their food in their feeders free-choice, and a couple of times a day they get scratch sprinkled in their yard to give them something to do.

When they were free ranging, they did not eat nearly as much of their feed, so their 'treat', ie reward for coming when called, was their grain sprinkled on the ground, and a tiny, tiny bit of scratch with it.
On hot days, they get some frozen fruit/veggies or watermelon chunks as a treat, given to them in the shade.
Since my cockeral has been injured, I have been making a mash out of their grain, and mixing some liquid vitamins and yogurt into it. Really only the boy needs it, but he want to be with his flock, so everyone gets it and no harm done.
Non-ration treats easily make up less than 5% of their diet, but they seem to be quite content anyways.

 

[llombardo]

I feed what is in front of me. By this I mean all my animals are individual. I try to stay away from processed foods. The dogs are all on the slim but healthy size, I have 3 with hip dysplasia, the weight has to stay good or it can cause problems. They haven't eaten store bought treats in years. I dehydrate treats on occasion, otherwise they get gullets, tracheas, and in the summer quite a bit of fruits and veggies. All of my animals get Spirulina, bee pollen and garlic. The chickens and ducks get cilantro, parsley, peas, blueberries. Grapes and watermelon are super treats. I now pull weeds for them and they think it's a treat but it's not anything they would not eat daily free ranging anyway. They are all healthy.

IMO it's not about treats, it's about healthy treats.

 

[Starwise]

I keep feed available in the coop and run at all times. Either layer feed or all flock. In the mornings I usually throw some scratch or mealworms for them when I let them out. My wife got in the habit of giving them a dinnertime meal, usually a sampler of some grated cheese, yogurt, fruits, veggies like tomato, cucumber, zucchini, carrot, and oatmeal. Sometimes I crumble up their eggshells and add them in too. Or when making scrambled eggs, make some extra so they get some too. One time I had an spare grilled chicken breast that nobody ate, so I diced it up finely and it didn't last long in their bowl.

As a rule I do not give them table scraps, other than veggies. Never pasta or bread. Nothing fatty and avoid added sugars, like greek yogurt vs Yoplait.

They get to roam free around the yard few hours almost every day and harvest bugs and whatever they find. And I give them occasionally a hanging cage filled with lettuce in the run, or any melon rinds or a bigger chunk to enjoy in the shade of a tree while harvesting.

I follow same principle in feeding them as I do with our dogs. They always have their food available in their bowls. I don't measure it up by cups. Animals know how much they need to eat and I don't ration that. Anything that I have to buy in small bags, like bacon wrapped sweet potato... those kind of stuff I give the dogs as a reward for staying still when I clip their nails.

 

[cwelte]

Oh, and they do get a lot of "free-range" time. So I like to think they're getting some balance over the regular feed.

In some ways, I think that letting them have a backyard like this to forage in IS kinda like spoiling them.