As temperatures cool off, backyard chickens tend to spend more time inside their coops without access to grass, weeds or bugs for foraging purposes. Supplementing them with nutritious winter treats provides extra energy while helping avoid boredom.
Too many snacks and food scraps can create an imbalanced diet. Here are a few healthy, enjoyable treats you should give a try.
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Scratch
Scratch can provide chickens with an enjoyable wintertime treat in their coop or run, helping them gain some insulation fat for use during cold spells, while providing hours of entertainment and stimulating them with new stimulation.
Encourage them to forage, which is especially crucial if the ground is frozen; they need grit for grinding their food – corn, sunflower seeds, oats and wheat are commonly used as sources.
Home-baked scratch is both cheaper and healthier than store bought versions; simply blend these ingredients together for an inexpensive homemade dish! Hanging cabbage or romaine lettuce from the ceiling of the coop provides another fun distraction that keeps chickens from fighting or pecking each other!
Greens
Greens and vegetables can provide your flock with essential water, minerals and vitamins that may otherwise be lacking during the cold months.
Leafy greens such as kale can provide your flock with essential vitamins and nutrients after emerging from molt, while winter squash such as butternut and pumpkin varieties provide extra nutrition while garden vegetables such as carrot tops or cauliflower leaves are good ways to beat boredom in the afternoons.
Avoid feeding your flock lawn clippings or other weeds that contain toxic substances, like nightshade and oleander. Also ensure they do not contain fertilized or pesticide-contaminated grass clippings if possible.
Dried Fruit
Chickens adore dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries and apples! Not only is this source of vitamins and minerals but it can also provide extra calories that could potentially cause health issues when overfeeding them! But be wary – too much can lead to health complications.
Winter may mean greens are hard to come by, but your flock can still enjoy a treat with a head of cabbage! Just make sure it’s free from any rotting, moldiness or oiliness and that its leaves are small enough for them to nibble.
Peanuts make an excellent treat for your chickens, just be wary of any highly salted or sweetened versions. Pears are another popular treat with chickens; just remember that their seeds contain small amounts of cyanide so it is wise to remove these prior to feeding; otherwise the skin and flesh should be fine.
Dried Bugs
Chickens’ ancestors likely fed on seeds, grains, leafy greens and bugs all year long; therefore flocks need extra variety during winter to remain energized, healthy and warm.
Food scraps that you feed to your flock should not contain excessive carbohydrates or fat; too many of these components in their daily ration could cause them to consume an unbalanced diet, potentially leading to health issues in their bodies.
Chickens love spaghetti noodles (they resemble worms to them!). Not only is this inexpensive and quick to prepare, but you can even freeze some into ice cube trays as a winter time treat!
Organ Meat
As winter nears, it’s essential that your flock has access to high-protein and nutrient dense food sources in order to stay warm throughout. Without their natural foraging ability they will require extra energy and nutrition in order to remain warm.
Scratch grains – which typically consist of cracked corn mixed with other grains such as millet and oats; seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower; dried fruits and veggies – are all classic snacks that chickens enjoy as snacks, and help stimulate roosting behavior and generate digestive heat to keep them warmer.
Locate a local butcher who specializes in organ meats; they’ll be more than happy to sell you these lesser-known cuts at discounted rates if purchased in bulk. Grill up some heart skewers as an irresistibly delicious treat!
