It has been a cold week here. I mean it was -15 degrees F. last night. Our chickens have a coop with heaters to keep them warm, but in the day they need to keep their bodies warm by moving, so I am going to share some treats to keep your flock warm this winter.
Corn
Canned corn is a great and inexpensive treat to feed your chickens. Canned corn keeps your chickens warm because it has a high-calorie content in it which helps boost their metabolism. If you are feeding your chickens canned corn just make sure it is free of salt, because salt is extremely bad for them. Salt can cause bad eggshells and even death. So just make sure there is no salt in it.
Scratch
Scratch is wonderful to feed your flock. It will encourage them to scratch around which will help keep them moving. Scratch usually consists of dried rolled or cracked corn, barley, oats, wheat, and sunflower seeds. It can also have other things in it but these are the most common. All these things in scratch are high in calories and will help keep your flock warm.
Mealworms
Mealworms are a great protein source for your flock. So if your chickens are molting they will need the extra protein to grow back new feathers. Feathers are very important as they will keep your chickens warm. One of my chickens, Rocky, has been moved to the garage for a bit because she doesn’t have her feathers back all the way. And when it is -15 degrees out she would have been so cold. As I am writing this article it feels like -10 outside plus we are having up to 40 mph wind gusts and it’s snowing, brrrrrr🥶. So as you can tell our chickens need extra protein and calories to stay warm.
Sunflower seeds
As with the corn make sure that they are unsalted. Sunflower seeds are a great source of fat and will help your chickens gain a little wait resulting in them staying warm when the temperature drops. My chickens love sunflower seeds and I am sure that yours will too!
Your chickens will thank you for feeding them these treats. It will help them to stay warm and they just absolutely love these treats.
Other articles that you may like:
- Reasons why your hens may not be laying
- A guide to raising chicks week by week!
- Three reasons why you need a rooster!
The 1912 Homestead 