Chickens enjoy treats, but these should only ever comprise up to 5% of their diet.
Use fruits and veggies from your garden that have come into season to create these simple DIY chicken treats.
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Pumpkins
Pumpkins are an incredibly versatile food source, capable of being used in multiple ways. While most commonly associated with making pie, pumpkins also offer many savory recipes as well. Perhaps surprising to some people, however, pumpkins are classified both fruits and vegetables due to how they grow and their ability to be consumed by humans.
Pumpkins are popularly included in diets due to their many nutritional and practical uses. Pumpkins also provide essential Vitamin A benefits that help combat dry and flaky skin conditions.
Pumpkins can be turned into delicious treats for your flock, such as my suet cake recipe with high protein ingredients that will keep hens fed throughout winter months. Easy and convenient, only two ingredients are required to create this delectable treat: eggs and bananas! Additionally, this treat makes an ideal option for molting hens who require an additional boost in their diets.
Yoghurt
Yogurt is an inexpensive treat that is enjoyed by humans as well as chickens alike, providing probiotics and other essential nutrients for them. But because chickens can be lactose intolerant, be wary when feeding yogurt to them.
Plain yogurt is generally best, as flavored varieties contain additives and sweeteners which could potentially harm chickens. Furthermore, give your flock small doses once or twice weekly as treats for healthy chickens!
To create a yogurt treat for your chickens, combine hot milk and yoghurt until you achieve the desired consistency. Feel free to mix in herbs and mealworms if desired. Once the mixture has cooled down, transfer it into a mold and freeze overnight or place on a flat surface where they can peck at it as a treat during molting or wintertime. This treat can provide comfort during these trying times.
Berries
Chickens love berries as a source of vitamins and minerals, offering fresh or frozen treats during hot summer days to keep their feathery friends cool and hydrated.
This recipe is easy and makes a wonderful way to repurpose leftover pumpkin peels or hulls from Halloween pumpkin carving, while using up any extra kale from your garden, mint is an effective cooling herb which helps lower body temperatures, while frozen mint makes for a tasty treat for chickens!
This recipe is an easy and satisfying way for children and grandchildren to engage with the natural world, and birds seem to enjoy it! Additionally, this method can help utilize flour or cornmeal that may have attracted weevils; eggshells provide calcium while dried mealworms/ insects pack protein-rich nutrition.
Nuts
Chickens love nuts as a source of protein, making them an excellent treat. But for best results they should remain unseasoned or salted; chickens have no difficulty breaking or crushing nuts with their beaks or using their gizzard to do the hard work!
However, excessively large pieces can cause digestive issues in chickens. Furthermore, it is best to chop them up into smaller chunks so as to prevent choking hazards for these birds.
Nuts are an ideal high-protein treat to give to chickens during their molting period in autumn. Additionally, nuts can also be used as filler in homemade suet cakes made from scratch – easy and affordable ways of using up flour or cornmeal that has attracted weevils even though the food was brand new! You could also incorporate herbs, blemished fruit, vegetables or dried mealworms as filler ingredients.
