The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: valantinas on September 28, 2011, 05:52:44 pm

Title: Chicken treats
Post by: valantinas on September 28, 2011, 05:52:44 pm: Hi
I was in a pet shop the other day and saw thet were selling treats for hens, which basicly was corn bound together in a clear substance which the hens would pick on. It looks like it would be easy to make and shape so I looked at the ingridients to see what was binding the corn together in the shape. Not helpful though as it says binding. Has anyone any idea what could be used to make the binding to make one of these treats?

Pete
Title: Re: Chicken treats
Post by: Sylvia on September 28, 2011, 07:01:12 pm: No idea but I give my girls sunflower seeds as treats and very occasionally meal worms which they go mad for :chook:
Title: Re: Chicken treats
Post by: It-needed-a-home on September 28, 2011, 09:17:37 pm: At this time of year i put up mixes of veg and seeds in lard to bind it all up and hang them up for a bit of fun

Give it go they love it !
Title: Re: Chicken treats
Post by: jaykay on September 28, 2011, 09:39:57 pm: Lard is certainly what I stick seeds and dried fruit together with, for the wild birds.

My chooks just love scattered corn and go mad for sultanas ;D
Title: Re: Chicken treats
Post by: Victorian Farmer on October 01, 2011, 04:23:38 pm: IFF I NEED TO GET HENS IN TOP CONDITION I MIX UP McVitie's biscuits WITH BOILED EGGS ITS GOT EVEREY THINK IN IT .ITS GOOD FOR SICK BIRDS AND BIRDS IN MOULT .
Title: Re: Chicken treats
Post by: Sylvia on October 01, 2011, 07:49:32 pm: Sounds good V.F. :chook:
Title: Re: Chicken treats
Post by: Dan on October 02, 2011, 07:28:38 am: Ours get a tin of sardines regularly as a treat. They go nuts for them, and apparently the oil is good for them. :)
Title: Re: Chicken treats
Post by: tizaala on October 02, 2011, 07:44:20 am: Dan,
Don't the sardines make the eggs taste " fishy" ? I know years ago they used a lot of fishmeal for chicken feed and that used to taste the eggs badly.
Title: Re: Chicken treats
Post by: Dan on October 02, 2011, 07:47:17 am: I'd heard that, but we've never experienced any fishiness, probably because we're feeding such small quantities.

A fews of tins of sardines between 80 hens a couple of times a week doesn't seem to taint the eggs at all. :)
Title: Re: Chicken treats
Post by: DJ_Chook on October 02, 2011, 07:57:25 am: Quote from: valantinas on September 28, 2011, 05:52:44 pm

Has anyone any idea what could be used to make the binding to make one of these treats?

I used to buy 25kg of mealworms for £50 and mix them into balls with lard as a binding agent. I would put some grain in them too. But I soon realised that it wasn't worth the time, effort or cost. The chickens were just as excited to have a loaf of stale bread or a cabbage... instead of the mealworms.
Title: Re: Chicken treats
Post by: Sylvia on October 02, 2011, 08:48:38 am: It's easy enough to breed your own mealworms but I only do a "chicken treat" number at a time in a large plastic box.