This time of year, everyone loves to spoil their pets, whether its with treats or a new form of enrichment, and hen owners are no different.

With the cooler days rolling in it is important that your hens are happy and have mental stimulation, a bored hen may lead to bullying and aggressive pecking in the flock. This time of year, there isn’t much for them to forage as the grass and weeds have disappeared, but a chicken peck toy is one option that can keep your birds happy. Try hiding them around their run so they can forage for them or hang them from a piece of string so they can  follow when it moves.

Fallen leaves from the recent storms  can be turned into great enrichment for your flock. It’s as simple as building up a pile of fresh leaves for  your hens and they will love pecking through them.

It is important to have both destructible and indestructible enrichment in a flock.  A simple form of indestructible enrichment is hanging old CDs in the run or garden. Hens love shiny things and have lots of fun chasing after the light reflected from the CDs, they also enjoy pecking at the CDs.

As well as providing great enrichment many poultry keepers like to provide edible treats to their hens, but it is important that the treats are healthy (such as corn, whole wheat or live meal worms) and importantly only given in moderation, such as once a week.

Keeping treats as healthy as possible is important, but even supplying healthy treats can cause issues to your birds. Obesity, reduced egg production, vent prolapse, feather pecking and increased risk of heart problems are some of the issues that can be caused from too many treats. It is vital that the treats make up no more than 5% of your hens diet.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are a great treat for hens, specifically some healthy greens. It is important to note that is illegal to feed your hens food which has passed through your kitchen. To avoid this, we suggest buying food specifically for your hens, and taking it straight into the garden when you get home. Alternatively, if you have fruit and vegetables growing in your garden, it is fine to give them straight to your hens.

Whilst there are many things you can feed your hens as a treat it is important that you know which foods to avoid as they can be extremely harmful.

  • Rotten and mouldy foods
  • Undercooked or dried beans
  • Avocado
  • Rhubarb

Please remember that treats are only to be given in moderation.