Homemade Chicken Treats

Hey there, again!

Today sure was a hot one! All the animals were showing it today as they laid around, waiting for the sun to fall. What better way to cool down the flock than some homemade treats!

I am going to share with you some treats for our feathered friends that they are sure to love!

 Hot day, cold treats

Chickens have a hard time cooling themselves in the Summer, so I highly recommend providing cooling options for them.

You can set up sand or dust baths for them to roll around in, but I believe their favorite cooling technique is, of course, eating cool foods!

Freeze their favorite foods in a bowl of water, or even ice trays for smaller flocks, to satisfy their needs!

Here are some of my chickens' favorites.

Fruit Cubes

Chickens sure do love fruit, so why not treat them with it! (It's super easy!)

Add cubes of fruit to water, freeze until solid, and serve.

Some good fruits for chickens include:

Strawberries

Blueberries

Blackberries

Raspberries

Cherries

Apples

etc..

Just make sure to stay clear of any citrus fruits; oranges, lemons, limes, .. are very high in acid, making them toxic to chickens. Also, no moldy foods!

Vegie Cubes

Vegetables are also loved by chickens. 

I added corn, lima beans, peas, lettuce, carrots, and radishes to mine.

Leafy greens are great for them, as well are cauliflower and broccoli. Stay clear of raw potatoes, onions, and garlic (in large doses.)

Now I say that, but garlic is actually good for them a tiny bit at a time.

I sprinkled about a tablespoon of garlic powder in the vegie cube to provide a natural anthelmintic.

I wouldn't give them more than 3 tablespoons of garlic a month. 

Once again, don't give your animals moldy foods!

Fresh Cubes

Herbal ice cubes are also a good way to satisfy your chickens.

I like to use mint for my ice blocks, but any herb is good.

Same steps as the others, just add it to water and freeze.

What a clean, fresh way to cool down!



Great thing about these cool treats are, all the animals love them! The chickens peck at them to get the ice and food, the ducks eat the fresh foods after the ice melts, and of course Peppa enjoys it all.  I started using Tupperware containers to make these treats after the first time I made them with ice trays (Peppa ended up eating them whole, so none of the other animals got any.)

Either way, they are great for hot days!

 Hot or Cold Day Treats

Hanging Treats

 A mixture of oats, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, and lentils is a great GMO-free way to treat your chickens in a different way.
You can serve it to them like you do their normal food, or even make hanging treats.

To make hanging treats, you will need oats, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, lentils, peanut butter, string, scissors, and a toilet paper or paper towel roll
The steps are super easy!
Cut a small hole in the paper towel roll to fit a piece of string through. Cut the string as long as you prefer and knot it after putting in through the hole.
Mix the ingredients, spread peanut butter on the toilet paper roll, and roll it in the ingredients. The mixture will stick to the peanut butter.
Hang the feeder in the coop and watch them go for it!


If you wanted, you could even go as far as making whole treats by mixing all the ingredients, including the peanut butter together and shaping them with cookie cutters. After they have dried, you can put a string through and hang it up for the chickies!

More things you could hang for treats are heads of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and other vegies.


Herbs

Basil, Bee Balm, Cilantro, Comfrey, Dandelion, Dill, Marjoram, Mints, Nettles, Oregano, Parsley, Sage, Spearmint, Tarragon, and Thyme are all great herbs for chicken's health.
Pick some fresh plants and hang them in your chicken coop. They love having different things to peck at!
I love using herbs around the farm for EVERYTHING!
Speaking of which, my next post is going to be everything herbs!

Come back later to read about all the great uses for herbs!

Until tomorrow!