Everyone who raises chickens occasionally wonders – what to feed chickens to keep them healthy? Autumn is a subtle change from a green landscape to one colored in different tones of orange, red and yellow, until the bareness of winter sets in. Along with it comes a change in seasonally available food. As we change our diet to prepare for the winter months, we also need to consider our poultry. What fall foods are safe to feed chickens and what should we avoid?
What to feed the chickens in autumn – healthy treats
Chickens like a variety of food and they like treats, but it is best to give them later in the day. Chickens are like children – if you serve them dessert with a meal, they will most likely eat the treats first, and may even skip their usual food altogether.
Be creative with desserts and alternate them on the menu, so that the diet is varied. While pumpkin is a great treat, no one wants to eat pumpkin every day for 3 months, and that includes your chickens.
Pumpkin: Raw or cooked, pumpkin is a fantastic treat for chickens. Both pumpkin seeds and flesh provide chicks with a nutritious, seasonally appropriate treat. Other winter squashes work just as well as pumpkin, so feel free to add some for variety.
Oatmeal: Just like you enjoy a warm bowl of oatmeal on a cold morning, chickens love oats too! Cooked oatmeal is a nutritious treat for your chickens on cold days, but it’s also good raw. Combining raw oatmeal with birdseed for a treat can also get your birds moving.
Corn: One of the best things about corn is its storage versatility. Chickens can be fed corn directly on the cob, frozen, canned or even dried. Raw or cooked, most birds are not picky. If you dry the corn directly on the cob, then you can hang it up to provide a healthy treat, but also a little fun for your flock.
Apples: There is some controversy surrounding apples, as the seeds contain cyanide. If this is a concern, simply cut the apple before serving to your chickens and remove the seeds.
Nuts: Shelled walnuts are an excellent source of protein for chickens during the fall and winter months. Autumn is the perfect time to gather walnuts.
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There are many other seasonally appropriate foods for chickens, such as carrots, cabbage, popcorn, cooked pasta, and many others. Just remember – give them treats later in the day and offer them a variety of options throughout the season.
Foods to avoid when feeding chickens
Although we can share most of the foods we eat with our chickens, there are some things we should avoid regardless of the season.
Dry or undercooked beans: While dry beans look like the perfect pecking treat, they can actually be quite dangerous for your flock. Raw beans actually contain a natural insecticide called phytohemagglutinin that is toxic to birds.
While it may not kill them immediately, it can cause organ damage that can eventually lead to slow death, making this one of the most dangerous foods to avoid. Beans can be given as food if they are soaked and cooked. This will kill the hemagglutinin, making it safe for consumption by your flock (and you).
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Luk: Thiosulfate is a toxin found in onions that attacks and destroys red blood cells. This can cause jaundice, anemia or even death in your flock. Although eating onions may have some health benefits, they can all be found in other, safer foods. It’s just not worth the risk.
Keep in mind that chickens will eat almost ANYTHING, and they don’t have a good sense of what is safe to eat and what isn’t. Be careful not only about the food, but also about the plants and trees that grow around your coop, as your chickens will try to eat most things they can access.
Not all wild plants are safe and suitable for consumption. Make sure to remove any potential hazards or rethink the location of your coop if necessary.
Source: Mother Earth News
Source: www.agromedia.rs
