Garden Treats for Chickens

Everybody loves a treat, and chickens are no exception. Fed in moderation, garden treats for chickens add variety to their diet. And they don’t contribute to obesity or dilute nutrients provided by layer ration.

Summer Treats

Chickens eat to meet their energy needs. They don’t need as much nutritional energy in summer as in winter. When high temperatures cause them to eat less, they may not get adequate amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Switching to a higher-protein layer ration, or to a game bird ration, is helpful for boosting summer protein.

Not drinking enough water also causes chickens to eat less, and warm water discourages drinking. Along with frequently refreshing drinking water, offering garden treats with a high moisture content can help keep chickens hydrated. High moisture treats include watermelon and cucumbers. (Be aware that when chickens drink lots of water or enjoy moist garden treats, their poop is naturally looser than normal.)

Garden treats with a high nutritional value additionally provide quality vitamins and minerals. Produce with high nutritional value include apples, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and tomatoes.

Although chickens make their own vitamin C, absorption of this vitamin and other nutrients can be inhibited by hot-weather induced stress. Such periods of stress rapidly using up the body’s stores of vitamin C, reducing the bird’s immunity. Among the best garden sources of vitamin C are uncooked pumpkins and other winter squash, sweet potatoes, and leafy dark greens.

Winter Treats

Cold weather brings a different set of issues. Chickens need more nutritional energy to stay warm. Switching back to a lower-protein layer ration boosts energy consumption. So does offering a small amount of scratch grain before the flock goes to roost during cold winter evenings.

Free range chickens have less opportunity to forage during winter, which can have two results: lack of fresh sources for vitamins and minerals, and boredom. Good winter treats from the garden include pumpkins and squash, kale, and small amounts of thoroughly cooked potato. To alleviate boredom, hang a cabbage head, sweet potato, or mangel root where the chickens can busy themselves pecking at it.