Chickens require various snacks to stay active and healthy during winter. Furthermore, extra nutrients may help them fight the effects of cold weather conditions.
An adequate diet featuring proteins, carbohydrates and fat will be crucial in helping your flock through winter and beyond. When they molt in autumn and winter months, extra high protein treats will give their immune systems a much-needed boost!
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Mealworms
Mealworms provide chickens with an ideal winter snack, providing protein-rich sustenance that supports their health while helping them develop feathers during moulting season.
Mealworms offer an inexpensive and nutritious treat option for chickens and poultry, at an economical cost. But make sure that the company you purchase them from meets certain quality criteria set forth by the Poultry Association before selecting their brand of mealworms.
Some cheaper mealworms you find on the market may contain heavy metals, pesticides, and other toxins which could pose serious threats to chicken health. To stay on the safe side, select natural, organic and free-range options instead.
Cracked Corn
Cracked corn is an economical, tasty treat for your chickens; however, it should not serve as their primary source of nutrition.
Chickens need a diet comprised of proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins in order to thrive; cracker corn alone cannot meet this need and could even prove harmful if used as the sole food source in their diet.
Cracked corn should be part of a balanced diet that includes other forms of bird seed, vegetables and fruits as well. Furthermore, cracked corn is an excellent addition to chicken feed which should comprise approximately 90% of their caloric needs.
Fresh Fish
As temperatures cool in winter months, chickens need extra protein to stay warm. Supplementing their daily protein intake is one way to ensure a strong flock and overall healthy environment for them.
Fish is another delicious source of protein for chickens to consume, both raw and cooked, making an excellent addition to their poultry feed for added nutrition.
Fish is an ideal treat to provide your chickens with in winter months, though its intake should be limited. Aim to give fish to them once a week or when experiencing stress such as moulting or recovering from predator attacks as protection against cold weather.
Oats
Oats make an ideal winter snack for chickens. Packed full of essential vitamins and minerals – calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc among them – these oats offer essential nutrition for chickens.
Oats contain high amounts of fiber, an important element for good digestive health and waste elimination from our systems. There are three varieties available – whole, steel cut and rolled.
Add oatmeal to their regular layer feed for an irresistibly delicious treat that they will love! Just mix some hot water into their pellets or crumbles and watch as your flock enjoys this tasty treat!
Soup
Winter can be a trying time for chickens. Their combs may freeze, their feet can become stiff, and hunting and pecking for food becomes more challenging.
Soup is an incredibly nutritious wintertime treat for chickens, helping keep their immune systems strong and healthy.
Barley adds texture and protein, while vegetables provide essential vitamins. This easy chicken vegetable soup recipe makes a wonderful meal on cold winter nights!
This easy slow-cooker soup is packed with flavor, making it the ideal recipe for meal prepping or freezing. Plus, using store-bought rotisserie chicken saves both time and effort, letting you simply reheat whenever comforting warmth is desired!
