Homestead Tip # 1: Homemade suet cakes for chickens!

Maine Homestead Project YouTube Link

 I love to spoil my animals. I also have this thing about feeding them the healthiest foods I can. Just like I feed myself organic, I feed them the same.

It can be expensive. Prohibitively so. I do it anyway, especially with my chickens. I do it because I am going to eat their eggs and also their flesh, and make broth from their bones. So damn straight they are going to be fed the best!

It gives me joy and peace to know that they are having the best life I can give them. A safe coop and run, supervised free range time, fresh air and sunshine, clean water and good food. My motto is " they will only have one bad day" the rest of their life will be full of love.

When it comes to treats I feed them many things. Like organic dairy, organic veggie scraps and when they can't forage, like now in the winter time, I give them whole heads of cabbage , Organic scratch and black oil sunflower seeds and meal worms.

This suet cake is made as a winter supplemental treat. I add lots of different things to it. Here is the recipe I made in the video. I also made a list of the other things you can use.

Homemade Suet Cake for Chickens

Ingredients

3 c. Beef tallow(melted)
1/2 c. Coconut oil
2 c. Organic Scratch feed
1 c. black oil sunflower seeds
1 c. Organic steel cut oats
1 c. Dried Mullberries(organic)
1 Tbsp. Organic ground turmeric
1 tsp. fresh minced garlic(organic)

Directions
Mix all ingredients well. It should be well coated and pourable, but not too wet.
Pour your desired amount into a greased tin/s and cool completely. To store I wraped mine in plastic wrap and put them in a container that I store in the coop. It is cold out there so I know it isn't going to melt and it is vermin proof.



Ideas for other healthy additions are:

Dried herbs and spices like:

• mint
• oregano
• basil
• thyme
• rosemary
• garlic(fresh or dried)
• parsley
• turmeric(fresh or dried)
• ginger(fresh or dried)

Dried fruits:

• apples
• cranberries(unsweetened)
• apricots
• prunes
• peaches
• blueberries
• cherries
• berries

Nuts and seeds ( Unsalted! ):

• peanuts
• sunflower seeds(black oil)
• almonds
• roasted cashews
• hazelnuts
• pecans
• pumpkin seeds
• flax seeds
• hemp seeds

Grains

• rye
• oats
• buckwheat
• wheat

Last but not least.......Mealworms!

This site is full of great info on treats for chickens and I refer to it often. Please visit it for a full list of healthy treats for your girls.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

I hope you make this fun treat for your girls and boys. I know they will love it!

It is an easy treat to make them and with fresh organic and dried organic ingredients you can't go wrong!

Go make a batch today!

Victoria

Peace.Love.Joy