Treat for chicken and info on why the are good.

[Aryn and Kim Page]

• I find this and added and removed somethings. I was wondering what everyone thought about this. what good or bad. for chick 1 to 8 week and even older chickens.
  
  Treat
  
  Apples
  Raw and applesauce
  Apple seeds contain cyanide, but not in sufficient quantities to kill.
  
  Asparagus
  Raw or cooked
  Okay to feed, but not a favorite.
  
  Bananas
  Without the peel
  High in potassium, a good treat.
  
  Beets
  Greens also.
  
  Berries, Blueberries, Raspberries
  All kinds
  A treat, especially strawberries. ( strawberry tops are great)
  
  Broccoli & Cauliflower
  Tuck into a suet cage and they will pick at it all day.
  
  Cabbage & Brussels Sprouts
  Whole head -
  Hang a whole cabbage from their coop ceiling in winter so they have something to play with and greens to eat.
  
  Carrots
  Raw and cooked
  They like carrot foliage too.
  
  Cheese
  Including cottage cheese
  Feed in moderation, fatty but a good source of protein and calcium
  
  Corn
  On cob and canned, raw and cooked
  
  Crickets (alive)
  Can be bought at bait or pet-supply stores.
  Great treat – provides protein and it’s fun to watch the chickens catch them.
  
  Cucumbers
  Let mature for yummy seeds and flesh.
  
  Clovers
  
  Cherries
  
  Eggplant
  
  Flowers
  Make sure they haven't been treated with pesticides, such as florist flowers might be.
  Marigolds, nasturtiums, pansies, nasturtiums, pansies, etc.
  
  Fruit
  Pears, peaches, cherries, apples
  
  Grains
  Bulgar, flax, niger, wheatberries,etc.
  Grapes
  Seedless only. For chicks, cutting them in half makes it easier for them to swallow.
  Great fun - the cause of many entertaining "chicken keepaway" games.
  
  Grits
  Cooked
  
  "Leftovers"
  Only feed your chickens that which is still considered edible by humans, don't feed anything spoiled, moldy, oily, salty or unidentifiable.
  
  Lettuce / Kale
  Any leafy greens, spinach collards, chickweed included.
  A big treat, depending on how much other greenery they have access to.
  
  Nightcrawlers
  
  Worms
  Available at pet supply stores or on the internet, although shipping is expensive!
  A huge(!) favorite treat, probably the most foolproof treat on the books.
  
  Meat scraps of any kind.
  Not too fatty.
  In moderation, a good source of protein
  
  Melon
  Cantelope, etc.
  Both seeds and flesh are good chicken treats.
  
  Oatmeal
  Raw or cooked
  Cooked is nutritionally better.
  
  Peas
  Peas and pea tendrils and flowers (thanks to YayChick for the advice)
  
  Peppers (bell)
  
  Pomegranates
  Raw
  Seeds are a big treat.
  
  Popcorn
  Popped, no butter, no salt.
  
  Potatos / Sweet Potatos/Yams
  Cooked only - avoid green parts of peels!
  Starchy, not much nutrition
  
  Pumpkins / Winter Squash
  Raw or cooked
  Both seeds and flesh are a nutritious treat.
  
  Raisins
  
  Scratch
  Scratch is cracked corn with grains (such as wheat, oats and rye) mixed in.
  Scratch is a treat for cold weather, not a complete feed. Toss it on the ground and let them scratch for it for something to do.
  
  Sprouts
  Wheat and oat sprouts are great!
  Good for greens in mid-winter.
  
  Summer Squash
  Yellow squash and zucchini
  Yellow squash not a huge favorite, but okay to feed.
  
  Sunflower Seeds/ black old sunflower seeds
  Sunflower seeds with the shell still on is fine to feed, as well as with the shell off.
  A good treat, helps hens lay eggs and grow healthy feathers.
  
  Tomatos
  Raw and cooked.
  
  Watermelon AND CANTALOUPE
  Served cold, it can keep chickens cool and hydrated during hot summers.
  Seeds and flesh are both okay to feed.
  
  Yogurt
  Plain
  Plain is better.
  
  Basil: Used for mucus membrane health and has antibacterial properties
  
  Catnip: Repels insects and used as a sedative/relaxant
  
  Cilantro: Helps keep fungus at bay, antioxidant properties, bone health, high in Vitamin A for eye health and Vitamin K for blood clotting
  
  Dill: Respiratory health, antioxidant properties, sedative/relaxant
  
  Fennel: Enhances reproductive health (egg laying)
  
  Garlic: Enhances reproductive health (egg laying) / helps control parasites
  
  Lavender: Smells wonderful, lowers stress, circulatory health, , insect repellant
  
  Lemon Balm: Smells nice in the coop, lowers stress, antibacterial, repels rodents
  
  Marigold: Enhances reproductive health (egg laying)
  
  Marjoram: Enhances reproductive health (egg laying)
  
  Mint: Used in nest/coop -(all kinds) - insecticide and rodent repellent
  
  Nasturtium: Enhances reproductive health (egg laying), antiseptic, antibiotic, insecticide, de-wormer
  
  Oregano: Contains antibiotic properties which may help prevent avian flu, blackhead, coccidia, e-coli, infectious bronchitis and salmonella
  
  Parsley: Promotes circulatory system development, enhances reproductive health (egg laying), rich in vitamins
  
  Peppermint: helps control parasites, insect repellant,
  
  Pineapple Sage: Promotes nervous system health, smells wonderful
  
  Rose Petals: Highly aromatic, high in Vitamin C
  
  Rosemary: Pain relief, respiratory health, insect repellant
  
  Sage: Antioxidant, helps control parasites,
  
  Spearmint: Antiseptic, insecticide, stimulates nervous system, circulatory and brain functions
  
  Tarragon: Antioxidant properties
  
  Thyme: Promotes respiratory health, antioxidant, has antibacterial properties
• 
  
• "meal worms cause the gizzard lining to erode and that cause the chicken to starve to death in a horrible painful way.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Wow, that's a list. I pretty much throw everything over the fence and someone eats it. If it's inedible it gets worked into the deep litter.

For young chicks I don't do many treats, it's best that they eat a good formulated ration. I do give a small amount of scrambled eggs a day, and some greens like sod clumps and dandelion.

I start adding more into the diet as they start to free range after 8 weeks, they get access to whatever left overs and extra garden produce that I have.

 

[Aryn and Kim Page]

Well thank you yeah I get my chickens May 17th they'll be newly hatched. I was reading somewhere you can feed chicken leftovers chicken let's cook. which I don't know if I feel okay with that it seemed a little weird what are your thoughts on that?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You mean feed them chicken? Mine wouldn't touch a turkey carcass. I don't feed mine meat, though some swear by it.

 

[Aryn and Kim Page]

Oh yes sorry I fixed it. Why don't you feed them meat? Just curious I might not feed mine meat Maybe worms.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I personally don't think it's a normal part of the diet, but than I feed things like cottage cheese, so, probably just a personal choice. We have dogs who have dibs on left over meat. I tried one year to give them the leftover turkey carcass from thanksgiving to pick at, but no one would touch it.

I also don't encourage worm eating, but know they do eat a lot of them. Earthworms can carry roundworm.

Mine free range and eat plenty of bugs, seeds, grasses and weeds, as well as berries, fruit, and scratch. They also get a lot of eggs, raw and cooked. I always keep a good all flock ration available, as well as oyster shells.

My chickens get mostly leftovers and stale or old stuff from the fridge as treats.

 

[Aryn and Kim Page]

Yeah leftovers that's most likely what I do for mine and then some extra. I have my garden right next to the coop so I can let them into my garden and I'm going to grow a bunch of herbs for them. Did you hear about pumpkin is a dewormer that's what I've been reading.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I read that, and I give them pumpkin in the fall but I don't necessarily worry if it's worming them, something I actually never do.

 

[Aryn and Kim Page]

Where to deworm your chickens what do you give them and how do you know if you need to do one them?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't worm, I don't feel it's necessary. I've never seen any signs of worms in my birds.