Suburban Homesteading – Frugal Living

Winter can be tough on chickens. Keeping them warm, having enough “unfrozen” water available and getting them enough energy to keep them healthy during the long winter months. This winter, especially, has been hard on livestock and humans alike. The endless freezing temps and unceasing snow fall has made everyone feel like Spring will never come.

Harsh winters also mean that chickens are not able to scratch about—their favorite past time—for bugs, weeds and spent produce. Boredom can set in and so can the fighting and cannibalism that goes along with spending long days cooped up in, well, coops.

One way to fend off the torment of winter is to give your chickens a supply of good treats. Not just scratch or the occasional green tops, if you can get them in some parts of the country, but a wholesome combination of nutrients and energy boosters.

Homemade chicken treats are a cheap and easy way to give your girls what they are craving. The combination of grains for nutrition, molasses for energy, lard or tallow and egg shells in a great mixture that will help them keep warm while their bodies digest, give them energy and keep them occupied and entertained as they scratch and eat the treat blocks.

To make your own chicken treats try this easy recipe below.

2 cups Scratch

1 cup Old fashioned oat meal

1 cup Cornmeal

¾ cup Wheat germ

½ cup Dried fruit, chopped

½ cup Crushed egg shells

4 Eggs, beaten, plus the shells, crushed

¾ cup Blackstrap molasses

½ cup Coconut oil, Tallow or Lard (liquefied)

Preheat oven to 325. Mix all dry ingredients together then add all the wet ingredients and mix well. Pat into pie dishes. The block should be about 2 inches thick. Recycled pie plates work great for this. If you want to hang your block use a chopstick or straw to make a hole about an inch from the edge. Bake for 30 minutes then cool completely. Run a knife around the edge, tip the pie plate over and let the block fall out. Thread twine through the hole, tie a knot and hang where the girls can reach it.

If you have a smaller flock 6-inch pie tins can be used and the extra treat blocks can be frozen until needed, just thaw completely before hanging out for the chickens.

For a fun alternative use cookie cutters to make decorative shapes. Poke two holes in each cookie, thread twine through the holes to make a garland and hang it in the coop or outside on sunny days.