Grow Your Own Chicken Treats
Who knew those little fluff balls could cost an arm and a leg to feed when they grew up?! With so many new chicken keepers bringing home their first flock there are bound to be questions about how to save money by raising some feed and treats in your own backyard. That’s a topic that is near and dear to my heart because I want my fresh homegrown eggs to be healthy AND affordable. So let’s take a look at some easy ways to grow your own chicken treats!
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In the past, I’ve shared articles on 12 Ways to Save Money on Chicken Feed and How to Save Money on Chick Starter Feed, plus I have a free ebook on my website… ‘How to Grow a Garden for Your Chickens’…… check out the signup sheet in my sidebar or at the bottom of this page to get your copy!
10 Easy Ways to Grow Your Own Chicken Treats
- Grow cool season crops, like kale, mustard, and lettuce for your chickens
- Grow Chicken Fodder for Your Flock
- Go Foraging for Chicken Feed
- Keep an organic lawn for free-ranging chickens
- Make Homemade Probiotics for Your Flock
- Grow Fruits and Nuts in your backyard
- Forage for Wild Apples
- Raise fish with an Aquaponics System
- Grow your own mealworms
- Raise small fields of sunflowers, wheat, or corn for winter treats
Why Grow Treats and Feed for Your Flock?
Raising our own food increases our self-reliance, saves money, and gives us control over our food sources. The same goes for our chickens. By raising some of their feed and treats we reduce waste, increase their nutrient intake, and save some cash in the process. What’s not to love about that?!
You’ll also be happy to hear that all of these easy tips may be used with other poultry, such as ducks, geese, and turkeys… they all love these goodies!
In addition to these ideas, try feeding kitchen scraps to your flock. Overgrown cucumbers and zucchinis are also favorites for my chickens. Let me know in the comments what treats your chickens enjoy!
You might also be interested in reading my Guide to Raising Eco-Friendly Chickens and How to Feed Your Hens for Best Egg Production.
If you raise laying hens and wish to sell their eggs, check out my article on How to Sell Your Farm Fresh Eggs!
This post contains affiliate and referral links and advertising as a means to earn income. You won’t pay any extra but I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases.
Hi Lisa,
I really like receiving your emails and the knowledge you share. I wanted to share something with you. About 25 years ago, an older gentleman told me that when he was a kid they didn’t have chick starter. They cooked eggs for the chicks, let them cool and crumble them up small so they can eat it. I fry the eggs (without oil), cool and crumble too. We have fed chickens this way, ducks and turkeys.
Just another idea. Thanks for listening. God bless.
Thank you so much, Beth! Thank you for sharing this information… I give cooked egg to chicks if they don’t seem to be thriving but I haven’t tried giving it to them in place of chick starter feed. I’m sure that the eggs have all of the nutrients they need for the first couple of weeks and that is a great idea. Thanks!