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Like human beings, chickens also need some variations in their feed. They may feel bored eating the same food daily. Apart from regular feed, you can feed some treats to your feathered friends.
However, you must ensure flocks receive a sufficient amount of complete feed to ensure essential nutrition. Entirely relying on treats is not a good practice. They are just tasty snacks!
But what are the best treats for chickens? You have dozens of options to choose from. Are all of them healthy enough to provide at least a minimum amount of nutrition?
After digging in-depth research, our experts have chosen some top-quality treats for chooks. If you really care about feeding some healthy snacks to your flocks, don’t miss out on this post!
5 Best Treats For Chickens
It is common to feel confused to select a reliable option from hundreds of options.
After considering several essential aspects, we have finally come up with these high-end and healthy chicken treats.
01. Grubblies Snacks For Chickens
Have you regularly fed your chickens mealworms? They might not be the safest option to feed if you are also eating eggs and meat from your own chickens. Mealworms may have viruses, bacteria, and other harmful substances. Your chickens may become sick from daily consumption.
This special snack contains oven-dried black soldier fly larvae. Your feathered friends will receive 34% crude protein and 1.30% to 1.80% calcium from this snack. It reduces the requirement for protein and calcium from other chicken feed.
Besides, the treat contains 1% of lysine, which is one of the most crucial amino acids for chickens. It plays a key role in growth and performance. Also, the snack has 26% of crude fat to improve the utilization rate of energy and protein and absorb the fat-soluble vitamins.
Treats that contain harmful additives may cause various problems to chickens, such as nervous disorders, respiratory issues, nervous disorders, skin issues, etc. Thankfully, Grubblies don’t contain any additives, preservatives, or sprays. Their ingredients are 100% natural.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Can be a better protein source than mealworms to provide higher protein and calcium | 🔻 Not all chickens may like the treat |
| ✅ Improves chicken feathers’ quality, appearance, and thickness | 🔻 Larger volume options could be better |
| ✅ Makes eggshells stronger due to a healthier ratio of calcium to phosphorus | |
| ✅ Contains 10% of crude fiber for better digestion and absorption of the feed | |
| ✅ Free additives, preservatives, or sprays to ensure the optimal safety of the flock |
02. WORMSKING Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae
Are you looking for a high-protein source treat? If so, you can’t be wrong in choosing this option. As per the WORMSKING claim, their treats have 40% to 41.5% protein. Plus, it has 80 to 85 times higher calcium than mealworms for stronger eggshells and better development of bones.
We all have some picky or choosy chooks in our coop. They don’t eat all the food you serve. You can try a special snack if you have failed to feed some of your flocks’ mealworms. Compared to other options, it has a bit different smell to attract chickens. Most birds will love them.
When it comes to maintaining a nutritionally balanced diet, feeding fresh food is essential. WORMSKING didn’t select all the black soldier fly larvae from the firm. Instead, they have chosen only strong and high-quality firm worms for drying.
What’s more, the treat contains 24% fat to provide concentrated energy and improve the physical traits and palatability of feed. It also helps chooks to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, calcium, and phosphorous. You can serve the treat with regular chicken feed or in a separate container.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Comes with a resealable bag to sustain the quality and smell for a long time | 🔻 Some complained they found a few shreds or pieces of orange debris in the bag |
| ✅ High-quality firm worms provide more protein and calcium for optimal health conditions | 🔻 Not all bags have the same consistent sizes of grubs |
| ✅ Has a unique and attractive smell to attract chickens and eat the snack | |
| ✅ Contains 24% fat to provide concentrated energy and improve the physical traits | |
| ✅ Improves feather growth and makes the bone stronger |
03. FLYGRUBS All Natural Dried BSF Larvae
Have you tried a lot of grubs for your chickens but still not seen a noticeable improvement? FLYGRUBS can be a perfect option to stand out. It has fresh, bigger, and heavier grubs. Chickens will love them in all seasons, especially in winter, to get instant energy.
Worry about inconsistency and depleted looks? The manufacturing company worked noticeably well to pick the best quality BSF Larvae. They have a rich color texture and a consistent size without any sad wrinkles and depleted appearance.
These worms are not crushed, broken, or smashed. In fact, they have a slightly larger size than regular ones. Another impressive thing about this high-quality treat is no dust. As you pour the dried snacks into the chicken feeder, you won’t see any kind of dust flying in the air.
Now, you must be wondering how to serve this all-natural dried BSF larvae, right? It is simple! Just spread it over the coop floor and let your feathered friends enjoy it naturally. You will also appreciate its packaging quality to sustain the quality of the treats for a long time.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Comes with a larger & thicker size and rich color texture to ensure quality | 🔻 The product needs to be fed within nine months |
| ✅ Easy to serve without any complications, just require spreading over the coop floor | 🔻 Chickens who already liked dried worms may not prefer to eat them |
| ✅ Doesn’t contain any dust and broken or smashed substances to compromise the quality | |
| ✅ Free from additives and preservatives to avoid the overall healthy growth of chooks | |
| ✅ A hygroscopic substance is used to sustain the treat’s freshness for an extended period |
04. Fluker’s Canned Critters Crickets Chicken Treat
Some chickens might be extremely picky. They may not prefer eating mealworms, and black soldier fly larvae. You can feed them crickets that are similar to grasshoppers. They contain a good amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals to promote better health growth.
You must be wondering what is the benefit of feeding crickets to chooks, right? They are rich in fiber content in the form of polyunsaturated fatty acids. It can be up to 13.4% in a 100-gram. Chickens will have a healthy digestive system to absorb nutrition from various foods.
Besides, the chicken snack can be a complete protein source with nine essential amino acids. Generally, 100 grams of crickets contain 60 grams of pure protein. It is especially good for teenage chickens to ensure optimal growth. You can feed two weeks or older chooks this treat.
Most treats come in a dry form. But this chicken snack contains moisture. This makes the treats more palatable. Feeding these moist crickets is simple. Serve one or two tbs of crickets for each chicken based on their size. Make sure to close the lid properly after taking out the crickets.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Contains crude protein, fat, fiber, and ash to ensure a healthy balanced diet | 🔻 Some complained the smell is a bit foul |
| ✅ Don’t have any Preservatives and additives to keep chickens safe from various diseases | 🔻 It may have a small amount of dent |
| ✅ Comes in a moisture form for better digestion, especially for smaller chickens | |
| ✅ Contains nine essential amino acids to form body proteins and achieve maximum productivity | |
| ✅ Don’t have large-sized crickets to avoid choking issues, especially for younger chooks |
05. All Natural Mealworm and Herb Treat
Some chicken keepers may prefer feeding a mixed-type treat to add variety to the chicken’s diet. This snack from Pampered Chicken Mama appears to be a perfect option. It contains USA-raised mealworms to provide chickens with protein, fats, essential amino acids, and vitamins.
Moreover, the treat has non-GMO wheat berries to improve chicken’s digestive tracts and increase their capabilities to fight against the coccidiosis challenge. This ingredient also provides carbohydrates to the chicken’s body as a quick energy source.
In addition, this snack contains bee pollen, which can improve their immune system and protect their intestinal tract health. Bee pollen also is a great source of fatty acids, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, trace elements, etc. Your flocks will greatly benefit from the treats.
Moreover, the chicken treat is equipped with basil leaves to improve the chicken’s skin health and detoxify its body. It can also contribute to improving their immune system and respiratory system health. Overall, this snack is pretty versatile to suit chicken requirements.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Contains rose petals to cleanse blood toxins from the chicken’s body | 🔻 A larger volume could be better |
| ✅ Includes only organic and non-GMO ingredients to prevent any harmful effects | 🔻 Products may become too dry from long-term storage |
| ✅ Equipped with basil leaves to improve chicken’s skin health | |
| ✅ Contains wheat berries to improve chickens’ digestive tracts and provide a quick source of energy | |
| ✅ Made with USA-raised mealworms for higher protein, fats, essential amino acids, and vitamins |
How To Choose Treats For Chicken?
A conscious chicken owner doesn’t select chicken treats randomly. You want to consider several aspects to get the best bang.
The following are essential aspects you don’t want to overlook when choosing chook treats.
01. What Type Of Treat Is It?
Dozens of chicken treats are available, such as mealworms, black soldier fly larvae, cricketers, etc.
Some are available in mixed versions. Apart from protein-sourced ingredients, they contain fruits, vegetables, and greens to add variety to the treat.
02. How Much Nutrition Does The Treat Provide?
Chicken treats are mainly added to provide chooks with tastier meals. But it doesn’t mean you will choose any option that has a poor nutrition level.
Before selecting any option, read the product label properly. It should have a correct amount of protein, calcium, vitamins, minerals, etc.
The chicken treat should provide the bird with a well-balanced diet for optimal growth and production.
It will help hens to lay better quality eggs and meat-based flocks to produce more meat.
03. Will Your Chicken Like It?
Some chicken owners sometimes buy a larger quantity of chicken treats just to save a few bucks.
But they don’t consider the consequences. Your feathered friends may not like it.
Not all chickens will love to eat the same treats. Their preferences may vary.
It is often common when you introduce a new treat. Make sure to buy a smaller quantity for the first time.
Monitor their eating habit. If they like it, you can buy a larger quantity. Otherwise, switch to another one.
04. Does The Treat Contain Any Harmful Substances?
Some chicken treats may contain additives, preservatives, sprays, or any chemical substances.
These harmful substances may affect several body parts of chickens.
If you feed them too many treats in the long run, they may have severe diseases and even die.
Before choosing a particular option, go through the product information properly.
05. What Are The Source Of Treats?
It is always better to choose 100% natural type treats to ensure optimal safety for flocks.
Chickens will prefer to eat fresh items as they smell good and attract them to eat.
Besides, processed food doesn’t have as much nutritional value as natural food.
Their quality degrades over time. These treats may cause negative reactions in the chicken body.
06. What Is The Consistency Of The Chicken Treats?
Most commercial-based chicken treats have protein-rich ingredients. They are mostly worms.
These worms must have a consistent size & shape and rich color texture. Their size can’t be too large or small.
They should not have any bad wrinkles and depleted appearance. This requires the manufacturer to choose only high-quality worms.
Chickens will enjoy eating all of them due to their consistency. Avoid selecting any treats that contain poor-quality worms that are not edible for chicks.
07. Is It A Dry Or Moist Version?
Chicken treats are available in both dry and moist versions. Dried options mainly come in plastic bags or containers.
But moist chicken treats are put inside canned containers to ensure long-lasting freshness.
If your chickens mostly eat any type of treat, dry options are better. They have a longer storage life too.
In contrast, if your chooks are a bit picky, moist versions are better. They are tastier than dry options due to their attractive smell and the special process used to make them.
However, moist chicken treats have a limited lifespan. Avoid buying too much at a time.
08. What Is Your Budget?
Not all chicken owners have the same budget. Chicken treats are a bit more expensive than regular feed.
The brand, quality, quantity, ingredients, and other attributes of a chook snack determine its price.
If your feathered friends are enjoying regular feeds and enjoying various treats from your garden, you don’t need to go for an expensive option.
A regular option will be okay. But it must not contain any harmful substances.
How Many Treats To Feed Chickens?
It is a good rule of thumb to maintain the 9:1 rule. You should feed 90% of regular feed and 10% of treats. However, some experts suggest keeping the treats within 5%.
The rough amount is 1 tbs to 2 tbs. It generally depends on your chicken size.
Larger chooks need a bit more snacks than smaller ones. However, it doesn’t mean you will overfeed them. Otherwise, they will gain too much weight and become sick.
Can All Chickens Eat Treats?
Adults and healthy chickens can eat any type of treat. If your chooks are already two weeks old, you can start feeding them treats.
However, if they have special health issues, you must talk with their veterinarian to ensure optimal safety.
When buying treats for sick birds, take a veterinarian’s recommendation to know which ingredients you must avoid.
How Often Should I Feed Chickens Treats?
Daily serving treats to chickens is not necessary. You can feed them treats, scraps, or snacks every other day.
Chooks should not be heavily dependent on it, especially if they get enough nutrition from their regular feed.
Besides, daily feeding treats can be expensive. You may need to increase your overall budget on a monthly basis if you have 20 to 30 chickens.
How To Serve Chicken Treats?
There is no hard and fast rule regarding how to serve treats to chooks.
You can spread them on the coop floor or ground. They will eat them while exploring various areas.
Another common practice is keeping chicken treats in a container, like chicken feed, as a free choice.
Flocks will eat them whether they feel like it. However, you need to add a small amount routinely to prevent overeating.
Some chicken treats can be mixed with regular feed. Make sure to mix a small option to figure out how much your birds like them.
Summing UP
When it comes to choosing the best treats for chickens, chicken keepers must pick a healthy, safe, and highly nutritionally valued option.
You should also consider their smell and taste. Unless they smell and taste good, your feathered friends are unlikely to eat them.
Regularly monitor the eating habits of all chickens. If some birds are not eating the treats, buy a new option for them.
Apart from commercial-based options, you can make some treats at home from your beautiful garden. Free-range chickens also enjoy various treats of their own.