As snow falls, there may not be many plants, weeds or grass for your flock to forage from. Without outside stimulation they may quickly become bored and restless.
Therefore, providing your chickens with extra nutrient-rich treats during winter will help them burn calories more efficiently to remain warm while simultaneously increasing egg production.
Contents
High-protein feed
Chickens require lots of energy in winter to produce body heat and regrow feathers after moulting, so providing them with a complete feed containing appropriate proteins, carbohydrates and nutrients is crucial to their wellbeing.
As well as offering your flock high protein feed, offering extra boosts through treats and food scraps can give them an additional boost. Oats, wheat germ, black oil sunflower seeds and cracked corn make tasty additions to their feeder and keep them busy while they burn calories for warmth while also keeping pecking and bullying to a minimum.
Fresh or frozen fish is another delicious source of high-protein foods for hens. Both fresh and frozen varieties provide essential omega-3 oils as well as protein. Just remember to add it only in moderation, with water included for best results – keeping their bodies properly hydrated is vital to helping them produce enough body heat!
Scratch
Chickens thrive on a diverse, foraged diet; however, in wintertime it can be challenging to provide them with all of the seeds, insects, and grass they naturally consume. That’s where scratch comes into play!
Scratch is an energy-rich snack that provides your flock with essential fats and carbohydrates to keep them warm all night long. Offering it prior to roosting encourages foraging activity as well as digestive heat production that keeps their bodies comfortable all night long.
Scratch can also be a tool to build trust with your flock and associate you with food, especially with newcomers or to encourage them back into the coop at night. Many use scratch as a motivational treat when training their chickens back into their coop at night. As well as its nutritional value, scratch also aerates bedding to maintain looseness – you can purchase pre-bagged scratch at your local feed store or create it yourself by mixing whole grains and seeds.
Food scraps
Food scraps may not always be in ample supply, and an extra source of sustenance can go a long way toward keeping the flock content. Hens need something to break up their winter boredom which may otherwise result in pecking issues ranging from mild to fatal.
Add snacks and treats to their winter diet in order to ensure their flock stays well fed during this season. It is ideal to offer these foods in the afternoon or evening to give the flock energy for night roosting periods.
Food scraps refer to any discarded waste from food preparation, storage and handling for human consumption such as meats, grains, dairy, fruits and vegetables discarded during their storage, preparation, cooking or handling processes – such as restaurant waste, grocery store food scraps, farmer’s market produce or houseplant trimmings – for human consumption. They may come from restaurants, grocery stores, farmer’s markets or houseplant trimmings but you can also donate food scraps directly to local zoos and farms that make animal feed. Information can be found online about where and how best you can donate your scraps; see local zoo or farm to donate these as animal feed producers! There is plenty of information regarding this donating food scraps through multiple resources online that offer ways of doing so – see Donating Food Scraps Donating scraps donate.
Supplements
Additionally, natural supplements and treats such as fun toys can also help your flock navigate winter successfully. Some treats provide entertainment and engagement during long, cold days while others give your flock extra protein or energy boosts that will keep them cozy warm.
Elderberries are an especially tasty treat for chickens; they love picking these tiny vitamin-packed berries themselves! Apple cider vinegar also helps support digestion and calcium absorption. Furthermore, commercial ‘tonics’ may be available that may aid in providing essential hydration, digestion support or protection against illness or parasites in winter months.
Raising the protein content of your flock’s diet is essential to providing them with enough energy to get through winter and through molt season – both processes which require substantial amounts of protein for proper feather regrowth.
