Favorite Chicken Treats

I apologize for not posting in a while. I’m afraid there isn’t much to report! All the ladies are doing great, enjoying life and even getting into a little bit of trouble. I thought I’d take some time to mention 2 treats that our ladies love. The first is yogurt. Yup, plain old yogurt. No sugar or flavorings added, just spoon it onto an old plastic lid or in a shallow bowl and watch your ladies gobble it up. It is a delicious and also healthy treat as the probiotics in the yogurt will help your chickens digestive tract the same way it is so good for humans. This is my daughter’s favorite thing to watch because Alice (our beloved Speckled Sussex with unusually large waddles) gets yogurt all over her chin/waddles and then shakes her head spraying yogurt all over everyone and everything in sight. We then watch as the hens eat the yogurt off of each others backs where it has been sprayed from Alice’s chin. Certainly this is something worth trying with your chickens if you also have a long waddled lady. Here’s a picture of our Lizzie (Delaware) and Jane (Black Australorp) devouring some yogurt. Notice Lizzie’s beak is covered in yogurt- yogurt is her personal favorite!

Also of note is another treat, particularly good for hot days. I first discovered this treat on a hot summer day when all my ladies were panting. I tried putting ice in their water, giving them fresh cool water, letting them hang out under a shady tree…nothing helped what seemed to be excessive panting. I read that chickens love watermelon and if you freeze your leftover rinds they will love to peck at them on a hot day. Viola! Panting problem solved. Those ladies pecked at that rind for over an hour leaving nothing but a thin green skin. Upon finishing they were cooled down and refreshed. Certainly we all eat watermelon in the summer and wonder if there is a better way to use those old watermelon rinds than just throwing them in the compost bin. Try freezing a few and see how your chickens like them. We always keep a good supply in the freezer for those hot steamy summer afternoons.