Chickens Need Meat!
Sarah SimonShare
Guest Post By Mallory Swanson of Swanson Homestead
Instagram: @SwansonHomestead_MO
Chickens are natural omnivores that thrive on animal protein. To stay healthy, keep laying eggs, and regrow their feathers, their bodies demand a high-protein, energy-dense diet. Because chickens have short digestive tracts, they can't digest grass like a cow does to meet their daily nutritional needs.
When a hen doesn't get enough animal protein, her body goes into survival mode to conserve resources. She will stop laying eggs, lose muscle mass, and even leach calcium directly from her own bones to compensate. Over time, this lack of essential protein leads to weak bones, severe muscle wasting, and serious overall health decline.
Mallory is the owner of Swanson Homestead, a professional family and wedding photographer, and a 10-year homeschool mom. Married for 18 years with two children, she loves house renovations, gardening, and food preservation. Her busy homestead is home to 60 chickens, 6 ducks (and more on the way), bunnies, a tortoise, a goat, a beloved rescue dog, and 4 pigs. Her favorite animal on the property is her pig, Wilber, who loves belly rubs and snuggles.