Supplements You Can Give your Chickens in Winter

Winter is here and the girls have just finished molting. Some of our girls are still looking a bit rough. If you’re like me, you want to do something or add something to their diet. You may be wondering, what type of supplements you can give your chickens in winter?

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Mealworms

If your girls free-range, they may not be finding the number of bugs in winter that they are used to having in their diet. Mealworms, being high in protein, are a great supplement to give your chickens in winter. I recently bought a bag that also had soldier fly larvae mixed in and the girls liked that just as well. 

Herbs

Herbs make great supplements you can give your chickens in winter Some of my favorites are: 

Turmeric has become a popular nutritional supplement for the last few years because of all the medicinal properties it has. So not only is it good for you but also good for your chickens. It’s an anti-inflammatory that aids in respiratory infections, and digestive issues. 

Oregano is a great supplement for overall health. It contains a ton of anti-oxidants, anti-bacterial properties, helps boost the immune system, and is anti-parasitic. 

Basil helps elevate mood, is also an anti-inflammatory, and supports liver and heart health

Cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants and helps repair damaged tissue. It’s also an anti-inflammatory that helps lower the risk of heart disease

Garlic has disease-fighting properties, is a natural antibiotic, and also contains anti-oxidants. You can crush fresh garlic and add to water (4 cloves per gallon) or add garlic powder to the feed. 

Fruit 

Our girls love blueberries, bananas, and grapes. They used to really like strawberries but not so much anymore. During the winter, when I find these on sale. I’ll grab extra to share with the girls.

Don’t give any citrus fruit. It’s believed that large amounts of citrus fruits can cause internal bleeding. 

Greens

With winter, there’s not much of anything green in our yard so we grow kale for the chickens. Another good option is collards. Spinach is okay in moderation but too much can interfere with calcium absorption. Skip iceberg lettuce since it doesn’t have many nutrients. Your chickens will appreciate anything green you can offer. 

Next year I’m going to try growing sprouts or fodder. 

We consume all these herbs on a regular basis and I’m still learning about the health benefits and how they apply to chickens. 

Peppers

Cayenne pepper contains lots of antioxidants and is an anti-inflammatory as well. Old-timers believe it keeps hens laying through winter. I rarely give it so I can’t say if that’s true or not. Our girls haven’t laid since Thanksgiving, so I’m thinking about adding some to their feed this week and see if I can kickstart their laying. 

You can also supplement with green or red bell pepper.

Scratch

Scratch grains are great for keeping your chickens warm in winter. They are high in carbs so when digesting it raises their internal body temperature. I give around 4 pm each day as a treat before sundown and sometimes in the morning if it’s been an extremely cold night. 

Probiotics in Water

Probiotics or Vitamins in water are great to do in Winter. When giving probiotics in water, I like to offer plain water in an additional container. 

Make a Mash 

You can make a mash once a week from oatmeal or layer feed. I like using the powdery leftover layer feed (that way I don’t feel like I’m wasting). Warm it up and your chickens will love it.

Also add:

• Scratch grains
• Mealworms
• ½ tsp per hen of any of the above supplements 
• And any greens or fruit you may have. 

Suet block 

Like a mash, suet block packs lots of vitamins and protein. You can usually find them at Tractor Supply, Home Depot, and even Walmart, or check out my simple recipe to make your own. 

Winter is hard on your chickens between molting and trying to stay warm plus don’t forget all the predators that are out to get them. Adding a few supplements can really boost their health and help them survive the winter.

As I said earlier, I’m still learning about all the benefits. If you have a favorite, let me know.