Poultry supplements are a great way to ensure that what we put into our poultry will be what we get out. Poultry performance, whether that be for show, egg production, meat or pets, relies heavily on nutrition and sometimes a few poultry supplements to help our chickens go a long way.
You might be surprised to discover that you don’t have to go to your local feed-supply store to get premium supplements. In fact, many simple supplements can be found in your home cabinets that can help stabilize feathers, increase egg quality and boost the general health of your poultry.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a panacea for many common health conditions, which applies to that of our chickens as well. Studies have shown that chickens given a dosage of apple cider vinegar in their water will have a higher percentage of beneficial antioxidants and lower toxic stressors in their cells. These antioxidants help fight against bacteria that cause conditions such as salmonella and E-coli, giving your chickens a stronger immune system and health.
By cleaning out your chicken’s system of those harmful bacteria, chicken raisers are also supporting their chicken’s gut health. This helps with the absorption of beneficial nutrients and digestion to bring your chickens the nutrients they need, making them stronger for any purpose.
Give chickens 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per gallon of water at least weekly, being careful not to serve in a metal watering system, because the acidic vinegar — especially when organic —may corrode the metal which will make the water harmful for chickens to drink. From immunity to gut health to claimed egg production increase, apple cider vinegar is a mainstay poultry supplement that can easily be added to make a big difference in your coop!
Eggshells
Who knew that chickens could even produce their own poultry supplement that can be given back to them? That is the verdict, however, of researchers and chicken raisers alike who grind their flock’s eggshells into unrecognizable powder (to avoid egg eating) and feed the eggshells to chickens alongside their daily feed.
Eggshells are made up almost entirely of calcium, which is exactly what hens need to produce adequate shells for their eggs and maintain skeletal health. Thankfully, hens are good regulators of their calcium needs and will eat as much shell as needed if it is available. Crushed eggshells should only be given to hens already laying to avoid pullets laying too early (resulting in laying and overall health issues). Shells should also be from the flock that is consuming the shell; store-bought eggs or shells from other flocks could carry bacteria causing disease. When given their own eggshells, chickens are given a crunchy side supplement to bring healthy eggs to your table.
Molasses
The thick, dark syrup isn’t only for home cooking! Molasses is a natural supplement for chickens that is rich in nutrients to help build stronger muscles and heart health. Molasses can also act as a mild laxative for chickens, which is a pro and con.
Beneficially, molasses can be used in emergency situations if a chicken derives botulism from eating spoiled feed or toxic substances by absorbing the substance and flushing it out. Being a laxative, however, too much molasses or availability to it can lead to dehydration.
Mississippi State University Extension Service says to add one pint of molasses to 5 gallons of water. “Offer the drinking solution free-choice to the affected birds for about four hours. Treat severely affected birds individually if they can’t drink. Return the birds to regular water after the treatment period.”
Molasses may also be used to give chickens a boost, whether given as a couple drops in chicks’ waterer to boost energy and give nutrients after being stressed from shipping or poured over feed to give an ailing chicken motivation to eat. Whatever the cause or reason, molasses is a sweet poultry supplement to have on hand for many of your flock’s needs!
Sugar
Chickens may not have typical teeth, but that doesn’t stop them from having a sweet tooth! Sugar isn’t only a treat to chickens, but a poultry supplement also when fed in moderation and at a young age. The sugar is easily absorbed in chicken’s digestion system, making it an ideal energy source to give young or sick chickens that need a pick-me-up.
To give your chickens a sweet treat with healthy benefits, mix 3 tablespoons of sugar for each quart of warm water and allow them access for a couple of days. Sugar water has also been said to help chickens who are molting, making it an easy solution to try the next time your coop becomes covered with feathers.
Sugar (or honey) also can act as a medicinal ointment for chickens. If a chicken has an open wound, make a paste with sugar and petroleum jelly to apply to the wound and leave covered until it’s healed. The complex sugars in the honey or the sugar itself act to draw out infectious bacteria and restore skin much healthier and faster than if not treated. Whether directly applied or given as a sweet treat, sugar is one supplement with many sweet benefits!
Garlic
While fresh garlic may be a natural repellant because of its smell, it’s a natural immunity booster and beneficial supplement to draw chickens back to health. Small amounts of garlic given to chicks twice a week help the birds acquire the taste and build a stronger immune system that builds momentum for life.
Garlic is also full of probiotics that promote gut health, helping the large intestine fill with beneficial bacteria that will absorb more out of the supplements and nutrients given in a chicken’s daily diet. Adding four crushed cloves per gallon of water may also help stimulate chickens’ appetite, helping your flock to fill out and eat when they may be sick.
Garlic may also become a favorite poultry supplement for anyone having to clean the coop as well! In The Chicken Health Handbook, author and chicken expert Gail Damerow suggests mixing 1½ pounds of garlic powder with 50 pounds of feed to neutralize odors of chickens’ feces without causing any effect on the taste of the eggs. For those who raise chickens, garlic is one supplement they’ll want close!
Herbs
Winter months mean two things for those raising chickens: cold weather and bare chickens, as many flocks migrate into their own season of molting. While it may feel helpless, herbs such as dill, mint, oregano, basil and parsley can help chickens regenerate new, stronger feathers to help them through the molting season — or any season they may need some shine, fluff and added number to their feathers.
Feathers are made up of approximately 90% protein, which means protein needs to be added to a flock’s diet to help build a supplement to regenerate new feathers, such as the levels of protein found in these herbs. They also are full of nutrients and vitamins that aid in the digestion of other supplements, which will help stretch your supplementing efforts further.
Milder herbs such as parsley and dill can be added to your flock’s feed (ideally dried and crumbled) while stronger or more pungent herbs such as oregano and mint be offered alongside the daily ration for your chickens to eat at will. In addition to helping bring your chickens’ coats back, herbs will help neutralize odors and leave your coop smelling fresh!
Sunflower Seeds
To give your chickens’ feathers a boost of shine and improve cardiovascular health, sunflower seeds may be just the trick! Black oil sunflower seeds and striped shell sunflower seeds contain large amounts of oil which stimulates the oil production in chickens that then gives their feathers a glossy glow.
Because of the high oil content, however, sunflower seeds are a fatty snack that can lead to obesity and fatty liver syndrome if fed on a regular basis, so moderation is key. Soaking sunflower seeds overnight or feeding shelled sunflower seeds are the most beneficial ways to supplement sunflower seeds in small amounts of one tablespoon per three to six birds.
By scattering the seeds in your chickens’ courtyard, stirring them in their daily feed or feeding them by hand, each seed is a special treat that your chickens will always be hungry for.
Flax Seeds
To give your hens’ eggs a boost of omega-3 levels, mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed per chicken into their daily feed. The flax seeds are rich in omega-3s, which makes their way into the yolks of select breeds of hens when fed in moderation and provide healthier eggs for human consumption and healthier, heartier chicks according to some studies.
Flax seeds also may improve the strength and appearance of your chickens’ feathers, which makes it an ideal supplement during molting season. It’s also thought to improve lay rates to war against the symptoms of molting.
As with any poultry supplements, moderation is key, however, as high dosages over a long period of time can lead to liver hemorrhages or obstruction of nutrient absorption. When fed as intended, however, flax is a handy standby supplement that can help your hens improve and give you some nutritious boost as well!
Kelp
Although kelp may not be a product you have on hand, seeing the benefits and differences in your chickens may make it a new standby on your list. The seaweed is loaded with vitamins and nutrients and amino acids that help improve fertility in roosters, hatching in fertile eggs, feather endurance and appearance and bone development in chicks.
Kelp also is rich in omega-3s, which along with boosting egg quality can aid in oxidative stress on their digestive system, helping them to absorb more nutrients that might be otherwise missed and absorbing more out of the nutrients themselves.
To add kelp to your flock’s diet, add 1 cup of dried kelp per 40 pounds of feed once a week or 1 teaspoon per 4 pounds of feed three times per week. Although kelp can help chickens of any age, give this supplement to chicks or pullets for their development. Although the seaweed may not look appealing to us, kelp is a natural poultry supplement and a treat chickens tend to flock after.
Poultry Supplements 101
While it may be easy and fast to pick up a commercial supplement for your chickens’ health and needs, a natural supplement is always a plus and can sometimes be the hearty boost your chickens need to be at their best.
Poultry supplements aren’t necessary once an issue arises with your flock either. You can use preventative supplements to raise stronger chickens and repel issues before they even take wing. Whether your flock is in need or full, these supplements, when used correctly by not making up more than 10% of a chicken’s daily ration, are ideal at any time and offer your chickens a natural way to be stronger, healthier and at their best.
This article about natural poultry supplements by Caitlyn Decker was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
