Treating Your Chickens Right

Guest Post By Ashlie – Roost66

Instagram: @ashlie.laine

A daily nutritional feed should never be replaced by treats, but let’s face it, making eggs every day is hard work! Egg production requires plenty of energy and nutrients, including calcium. And when it’s time for molting, growing an entirely new set of feathers can be a long and demanding process.

Chickens would naturally spend a good portion of their day foraging through grass, dirt, and leaves looking for bugs, seeds, and other tasty finds. For chickens that don’t have the opportunity to forage naturally, treats can be a fun form of enrichment and can encourage those natural foraging behaviors.

Treats can also add variety to their daily routine and, depending on what you offer, provide additional vitamins and minerals. The key is remembering that treats are exactly that - treats! Their complete feed should remain the foundation of their diet, while the fun stuff gives them something extra to look forward to.

Because let’s be honest…happy chickens + treat time = absolute chaos, and I’m here for it. 🐔😂

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I’m Ashlie, an Arizona-based chicken-keeping, homeschooling mom and content creator (find me on Instagram and TikTok) From Roost66, I share the real-life chaos of backyard chickens, gardening, homesteading, family, and faith, with a mix of practical flock-care tips, humor, and plenty of chicken shenanigans. When I’m not creating, I’m usually reading, gardening, or spoiling my flock.