Saturday, May 16, 2020
homemade TREATS for HEALTHY CHICKEN
Chickens deserve occasional treats, just like any pet. They may not be as affectionate as a dog, but they certainly help a lot in the backyard.
The treats are not just given to make them happy, serve a purpose too. Treats aim to help and keep your chooks healthy throughout the year.
Treats serves as a source of nutritional substitutes for plants that they like, especially when winter arrives,, which are hibernating and buried in snow. It keeps them preoccupied during winter, hydrated and cool in the summer.
You can make it yourself by using food ingredients that are already in your kitchen. Now there are many chicken treats available for purchase at chicken supply stores and online:
But your chook is also worth eating certain types of human food for all their hard work in the backyard. It’s a great way to make use of excess food (instead of throwing them to the trash) and save money!
So keep scrolling and learn various ways to keep your chook entertained and healthy with snacks! especially those of you who are just raising chickens, and are creative in processing healthy food menus for your chickens
Frozen Muffin Treats
Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
246 calories; 14 g total fat; 45 mg cholesterol; 806 mg sodium. 21.4 g carbohydrates; 8.3 g protein; Full Nutrition
Quick and easy summer dish put little corn kernels in each muffin cup, and add water. You can also do this idea using various ingredients, keep it in the freezer for a few hours and that's it.
Mealworms
In fact, their high protein value makes them much more nutritious than many other treats. just feed your hens a few Mealworms every second day. 10 large Mealworms per standard size chicken, 3 times per week
There have been many accounts of chicken lovers noticing an improvement in flavor and size of their eggs after they started to feed their flock the recommended serving size of mealworms.
Lots of water. A good format to follow is to top their feed up in the mornings and let them out for 30-60 mins in the late afternoon. You can farm your mealworms. There are some articles and guides available online to learn how to do it.
Pumpkin Seed Treats
The seeds pumpkins help with worming. According to Delaware State University pumpkin seeds “contain a deworming compound called cucurbitacin which has been used to expel tapeworms”.
This idea is perfect during the Halloween season,. simply make pumpkin chunks, blend the seeds into smaller pieces, and a little bit of water and organic feeds.
Fodder
Now here’s something we highly recommend that you have if you’re raising chickens. A home fodder system is definitely good as it is a low-initial cost and low-maintenance DIY project! You can have high-quality fodder available 365 days on the season, rain, hail, snow, or searing summer heat!
You don’t need to have a dedicated area of cultivated land or any special equipment to do it. In fact, you can achieve high yields in just a very small area.
For instance, you can grow up to 15 lbs of fodder in a space as small as a laundry room. That is enough to feed 15-20 chickens.
As long as you have a well-ventilated room with a decent shelving system, you can definitely DIY your ‘fodder farm’.How to set up your own low-cost fodder growing system
Vegetable Garlands
Bought too many vegetables for your meal ? Give it to your chooks as a treat: Asparagus, beans (must be cooked),Beets, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, peas, pomegranate, popcorn (popped) potatoes (cooked, avoid peels),
Pumpkins, sprouts, squash, tomatoes, turnips. This vegetable garland idea will keep them from getting bored.
Oatmeal Balls Bread/Grain
This recipe is proven to be a hit with the owner’s chickens. So the next time you bake oatmeal cookies for the kids, don’t forget to make this version for your chooks afterward, here’s a really good-looking recipe from Janice Cole that you can make!Just remember not to confuse this with the ones you made for the family because these peanut butter cakes are made of chicken feed and dried mealworms along with salt-free peanut butter, old-fashioned oats, raisins, dried cranberries.
Bread, grits (cooked), rice (cooked), oatmeal (raw or cooked), pasta (cooked), quinoa, sugar-free cereal (like Cheerios)
Now that you have several ideas on how to make fun and healthy treats, show your love to your backyard chickens by making your very own version!
Fruits
apples (including seeds), bananas (without the peel), cherries, melons, peaches, raisins, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, seedless grapes
Now, remember, treats are called treats because they are supposed to be given occasionally and in moderation.
They are NOT meant to replace regular feeds because doing so can cause health problems. It might also result in egg malformation and a decrease in egg production.
There is one very important thing that can influence the quality of the eggs and the mood of the hen – the coop.
The quality of the chicken coop is crucial for you if you are serious about breeding chicken so I highly recommend that you (invest in this manual). This manual helped me and many other people to make chicken breeding easier and more simple.
If you have some different homemade recipes for chickens, feel free to post in the comments below.