Wintertime snacks

[Ruth Ann]

I am trying to think ahead and have things for the chickens to snack on in the winter.
So far I have frozen a few bags of whole tomatoes. Have a pear (whole) in freezer right now seeing how that goes over.
Anything special you do to have winter goodies?
I have spoiled mine so with fresh stuff everyday from the garden, that I don't want them to cry all winter.
OH...and I found they really like the zinnia deadheads, so plan on saving those for the winter too.

 

[GardenWeasel]

I save all stock making leftovers, with higher fat content in the freezer for winter feeding. Shred those gigantic summer squash and cukes too. Also save all leavings from canning tomatoes and freeze if I have room. Don't forget to mark them as chicken food. Don't ask how I know.

 

[fldiver97]

I froze some of the blackberries and mulberries for winter, I also keep winter squashes in the basement for cooking and chicks. I now raise my own mealworms, it'll be a nice treat for winter when no bugs are available. I have some frozen corn, peas, blueberries, raspberries and chunks of peaches frozen. Same with summer squash, zucchini. Whenever fruit is getting very ripe or has bruised spots I will either feed it as treat or if they already had a lot then I will freeze it. I grow Kale until late in the year, also chop some and blanch and freeze it. Most of the time I will mix the frozen veggies or fruit in some warm oatmeal as a winter treat.

 

[digitS']

Don't throw away your Halloween jack o'lantern! I have about a half dozen pumpkins in the garden. The chickens would put sticky notes on them if they could: "to be steamed and frozen for chicken use!"

Zucchini too . . . and it might count that DW makes waaay too much zucchini bread and by late winter - you know where those loaves go.

Of course, any garden vegetable that has too high of an "inventory" for people use, can go to the hens.

Steve

 

[3dogs]

When I lived in the cold northeast, I bought plain suet at the grocery store and put it into a metal suet feeder used for wild birds. I hung it in the barn for the chickens to get an extra bit of fat during the coldest months. They also got black oil sunflower seeds as an extra healthy treat.

Another way to keep them busy and out of trouble is to drive a spike nail through a board and push a head of cabbage onto the spike. The chickens would peck at the cabbage until only the core was left.

 

[grendel]

Dandelion s,FLOwers and greens highly nutritious and you can buy them at Meijers in the winter also.