Treats High in Protein for your Chickens

We enjoy giving our girls treats and nearly as much as they do eating them. Giving treats encourages them to be more friendly plus builds trust. I choose our treats based on what’s going on with our birds or the time of year. During an illness, injury, or hard molt, I increase the treats high in protein.  

The girls think my husband is the Bearded Rooster (he gives way too many treats).

Clara is showing the first signs of molting, and I know the other girls will be starting soon. 

During a molt, your chickens will replace old broken worn-out feathers with pretty new ones, just in time for Winter. Growing new feathers takes a lot of protein. 

Below is a list of treats high in protein that we give our girls. 

Scrambled or boiled eggs

Eggs contain 6 grams of protein. If I have eggs for longer than two weeks (which is rare), I scramble for the girls. The girls laid 150 eggs in February this year. We gave a ton away and the girls got some every day. We just couldn’t eat that many. 

Meat bird (Broiler)  feed

When your chickens molt, egg production usually ceases. Your bird’s body will be concentrating on new feather growth so egg laying generally stops. So since the girls aren’t laying, I’ll mix meat bird feed with their regular layer feed. Check the label but some, like Purina, contains 22% protein. 

In case some of the girls are still laying during their molt, I also put out oyster shell free choice for a calcium boost. If their shells are still thin, I’ll crush up a tums and put on their snacks. 

BOSS – Black oil sunflower seeds

This is one of our girls’ favorite things! It’s high in protein but use sparingly. It can cause their poop to become oily and stick to their vent area. If this happens, I’ll cut back and give just every few days. 

Lean Meat

Any lean meat is great for them. Our girls love chicken. Crazy I know. When the Bearded Rooster bakes or grills, I also make sure to put a piece aside for them. 

Seafood: Tuna and sardines

Tuna – 5 grams of protein per ounce. We don’t give this very often mostly because our family eats it.  

Sardines – quite the superfood. In addition to vitamins and Omega 3s, high in protein and calcium, containing 16 grams of protein per can (3.75oz) plus 210mg of calcium. A great treat to add for some extra calcium if you’ve added the meat bird feed to the layer feed. Some people say it can give eggs a fishy taste. We give a few times a week routinely and haven’t noticed.

Mealworms

Always a favorite. I try to keep dried mealworms on hand and buy a couple of bags whenever on sale. You don’t always have to purchase from Tractor Supply or your feed store. Last year around this time, I got some on clearance at Lowe’s.

Cat Food – canned or dry

We tried this last year. I bought a large can because it was cheaper per serving but I threw half of it out. Next time, I’ll get the small ones. Don’t give too often apparently can be hard on their kidneys. 

Vegetables high in protein

Corn – 5 grams per ear; great to give in fall or winter due to its high caloric count. Corn requires extra energy to metabolize which increasing their internal temp keeping them warm. 

Broccoli – 4.5 grams per medium stalk 

Spinach – In addition to folate, iron, and Vitamin A, spinach contains 250mg of Calcium per cup, 24mg of magnesium, 167 mg of potassium 

Brussel sprouts – 3 gr of protein, 342 potassium per cup 

From time to time you may need to up the protein in your chicken’s diet and giving treats high in protein is an easy way to do it. We use to give mac and cheese and the girls absolutely love it. But I learned that chickens can’t digest lactose. 

When giving new treats, our girls, and I think most chickens, are hesitant to try it at first. Kinda like little children. I always introduce a small amount in with something they love.   

If your girls aren’t free-ranging, be sure and offer grit to aid in digestion. The food is stored in the crop, which acts as the chicken’s teeth. Grit helps to break down the food prior to entering the stomach. When free-ranging, your birds will pick up small rocks, sand, and dirt, which act as grit. 

There are a few treats you shouldn’t feed your chickens. Some are avocado, potato peels, apple seeds, and citrus. Be sure and check out my previous blog for more info.