From BACKYARD CHICKENS Magazine
Sorry when Farmer Mary copied the chart the lines didn’t reproduce here..Might give chicken owners a few new ideas, and farm visitors ideas of treats to bring the chickens at Winterpast Farm!
Treat
Type General Opinions
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.
Beans–Well-cooked only, never dry–Also, greenbeans
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Beets –Greens also.
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Berries –All kinds–A treat, especially strawberries.
Breads –All kinds – good use for stale bread or rolls–Feed starches in moderation.
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.
Catfood Wet and dry Feed in strict moderation, perhaps only during moulting
Cereal Cheerios, etc. –Avoid highly sugared cereal such as Cocopuffs, etc.
Cheese Including cottage cheese Feed in moderation, fatty but a good source of protein and calcium
Corn On cob and canned, raw and cooked
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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.
Eggs Hardcooked and scrambled are a good source of protein, and a favorite treat. Feed cooked eggs only because you don’t want your chickens to start eating their own raw eggs.
Eggplant
Flowers Make sure they haven’t been treated with pesticides, such as florist flowers might be. Marigolds, 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.
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.
Mealworm–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.
Pasta / Macaroni Cooked spaghetti, etc. A favorite treat, fun to watch them eat it, but not much nutrition.
Peas -Peas and pea tendrils and flowers
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Peppers (bell)
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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
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Rice -Cooked only
Pilaf mixes are okay too, plain white rice has little nutrition.
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–with the shell still on is fine to feed, as well as with the shell off.
Tomatoes –Raw and cooked.
Turnips –Cooked.
Watermelon –Served cold, it can keep chickens cool and hydrated during hot summers.
Seeds and flesh are both okay to feed.
Yogurt Plain or flavored A big favorite and good for their digestive systems. Plain is better.
