Fall Decorations Make Healthy Chicken Treats

As cooler fall weather arrives and we start decorating, it’s fun to realize that many natural fall decorations make healthy chicken treats. So plan accordingly and decorate for fall knowing that after the fall holidays have passed, you shouldn’t throw out all those Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations.

The Fall Decorations That Make Healthy Chicken Treats:

Pumpkins, decorative gourds, squash or dried corn cobs all make healthy chicken treats. So, don’t throw them out –  feed them to your chickens instead!

Feeding pumpkins, squash or gourds to chickens is as simple as cutting them in half and setting them cut-side up in their coop or run.  The chickens will devour them and seem to really love having access to fresh vegetables after most other things have stopped growing.

In addition to the chickens enjoying the fresh produce, the seeds from pumpkins, squash, and gourds are actually good for your birds. The seeds from this family of vegetables act as natural dewormers (see Chicken Treats Make Natural Dewormers)  

Dried corn on the cob is even simpler to feed to your chickens, just throw it in the run – they’ll pick the cobs clean.   However, dried corn is high in carbohydrates, so like all treats, it should be fed in moderation.

We grow and store (see How To Store Vegetables For Winter) quite a few pumpkins and gourds to feed the chickens throughout fall and winter, and we’re always on the lookout for folks wanting to get rid of excess vegetables after Halloween and Thanksgiving have passed.  The chickens never seem to tire of eating them, and spring greens are a long time away.

It’s easy to make sure you have lots of pumpkins, squash, gourds, and corn each year; just save a few seeds and plant them in your garden in spring.  Then, you’ll have an abundance of material for fall decorations, and treats for the chickens too!