Why are Flock Blocks a Good Treat for Chickens?

Kalmbach Flock Block

So, Why are Flock Blocks a Good Treat for Chickens? When my chickens are happy and contented, I feel like an achiever, of which I am. This is the same feeling any chicken owner experiences when their birds are happy and comfortable. To achieve this feat, you need to ensure that you provide your chickens with basic needs. One of these needs is the flock blocks and that’s our point of focus in this discussion.

400;”>Flock blocks play a significant role in the well-being of your chickens. These treats are healthy and appear to keep your chickens busy as well. Also, they help eliminate cases of your birds pecking each other out of boredom. In wintertime, flock blocks provide your birds with an alternative to peck. This is because the ground where they normally do so is already covered with snow.

Flock blocks are made of different types of food for your chickens. Some of the ingredients used in making these treats are rich in vitamins, minerals, and other important elements. When combined in the right proportion, ingredients used in making flock blocks can boost your chickens’ health. This brings us to why are Flock Blocks a good treat for chickens? Let’s learn the importance of these treats and how you can make them at home.

Why are Flock Blocks a Good Treat for Chickens?

As mentioned earlier, flock blocks are made of nutritious foodstuff and other ingredients that entice your birds to eat them. This explains why chickens love these treats more than other types of feed. For that reason, you should know why they’re good for your chickens at different times of the year.

Flock Blocks Promote Your Chickens’ Health

Every chicken keeper’s dream is to see their flock of birds healthy, vibrant and productive. This does not come by chance but needs some wisdom. That being said, your chicken’s diet will determine their well-being and productivity.
In fact, this is the first step that you should consider if you want to improve the production of eggs and chicken meat. After all, what you feed your birds will reflect in their physical appearance as well as productivity. In this regard, you should try out on several flock blocks and see the outcome in a few days.

More Ingredients

Purina Flock Block
Flock flocks contain a number of ingredients that are rich in different nutrients. These nutrients are the key components of your chicken feed, hence the need to provide them through flock blocks.
As basic as it may sound, you must ensure that your chickens are well fed to keep them healthy. Poultry nutritionists and researchers reveal that chickens, just like other animals, need a more nutritionally balanced diet to live longer.
This is attributed to good health when these birds are taken care of. Even though their ancestors might have survived on foraging in the wild, supplementing their diet will increase their longevity.

Saves You Money and Time

Chickens at different stages of their development need different feed formulations. Luckily, some of their feeds from manufacturers come when they are already formulated. So, you will not have to worry about the nutrition value of your commercial chicken feed.
While this is a sound idea, you need to know that it will cost you money and time. Therefore, you should think out of the box and provide your birds with a well-balanced diet in the form of flock blocks.
For layers make sure their flock blocks contain crushed eggshells and oyster shells. These two ingredients are a rich source of calcium for egg development. Other ingredients should be rich in essential nutrients such as proteins, minerals, and vitamins. All these nutrients will keep your flock of birds healthy and productive.

Flock Blocks Eliminate Boredom among Your Chickens

Chickens are active animals, especially during the day. This helps eliminate boredom and other bad vices such as pecking. That is why it’s advisable to create a sizeable yard or chicken run where they can spend their daytime.
This can work well because your birds will not be confined in one place but spend their time moving around. How this is only practical in the summertime and not at the start of the winter season.
In winter you will have no choice but to confine your birds indoors, particularly inside their coop. This is a noble step towards ensuring their survival under extreme weather conditions.

Eliminates Pecking

But it will only work when you help them do away with boredom. If not, the aggressive and territorial breeds will establish a pecking order within their living space. So, how do you ensure that your chickens stay peacefully, well-fed and less bored under confinement? The answer to this question lies in flock blocks. Besides their nutritional value to chickens, these flock blocks can keep your birds busy throughout the winter period.
Extreme cold weather comes with its share of problems. This type of weather means fewer bugs and a shortage of weeds for your birds to scratch for. Remember, this is the time snow covers the ground, denying your birds a chance to look for insects when free-ranging.

Boredom Buster

Happy Hen Treats
Instead, they will stay inside their chicken coop to avoid extreme weather conditions. To keep them happy, you need to supply them with flock blocks. This form of chicken treat will help your birds overcome boredom as well as providing them with a meal.
Most flock blocks contain a few warming grains and other important ingredients. All these components help them stay warm through cold weather. At least, your birds will enjoy a treat and stay busy throughout the wintertime. That is if you supply them with a substantial amount of flock blocks in their coops.

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Homemade Flock Blocks For Your Chickens

You can make your own flock blocks for your birds and also save money at the same time. This way, you will not bother looking for these treats elsewhere. In fact, the whole process is easy and takes less time if you have all the equipment and ingredients.
Let me take you through the ingredients, equipment, and recipe that will help you prepare your first flock block.
- Ingredients:
  - 6 eggs (to act as a gelling unit)
  - 4 cups grains (usually cracked oats, barley, corn and so on-or any mixture of these)
  - 2 cups oats (from regular oatmeal oats)
  - 1 cup molasses
  - 2 teaspoonful cinnamon
  - 1 teaspoonful cayenne pepper (suitable for your birds’ immune system)
  - 1 cup oil ( at room temperature or coconut oil)
  - 2 cups layer feed
  - ½ cup wheat flour
  - 1 cup sunflower seeds
  - ½ cup wheat germ (or you may use wheat bran)
  - ½ cup crushed oyster grit or eggshells
- Directions:
  - Switch on your oven and preheat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
  - Proceed to mix all the wet ingredients in one bowl and dry in a second bowl.
  - Prepare the pans in readiness for the next step.
  - Use your hands to mix the ingredients. This is the easiest way to save time. To know if your mixture is ready for the next step, you should squeeze a little bit. If it remains in a solid form, then you should proceed to the next stage.
  - Load up the pans and press your mixture down before fattening it to make it smooth on top. At this stage, you may decide how your final flock block will look like. If you expect to hang the block, then you can poke a hole in the middle and thread it later. Or you may just lay the content on the plate while baking it.
  - At this point, you are required to bake the mixture at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Your mixture will start turning dark brown gradually as you continue baking. After half an hour of baking, your flock block will be ready.
  - Let it cool before running a knife or spoon around the edges to prevent it from becoming crusty. Once it cools pass the thread through the hole and hang it in the coop for your birds to enjoy.

Related Questions

What is the advantage of preparing your own flock block at home? First, it is affordable and saves you time. On average you can spend at least $20 a week on commercial flock blocks. But when you prepare this treat at home, you can save some money in the process. Secondly, you can easily monitor the amount of ingredients in each block for the sake of your birds.

Is it advisable to feed your birds on flock blocks throughout? Too much of something is bad and this is the same case with overfeeding your birds. Excess sugar and fat (contained in flock blocks) are detrimental to the wellbeing of your chickens. Therefore, you need to feed them occasionally in order to keep them healthy and productive throughout.

In Conclusion

Flock blocks have many benefits to your chickens. These treats are a great source of essential nutrients for the wellbeing of your birds. Also, they help reduce boredom among your chickens as well as keeping them warm in winter. You may obtain them from stores or make your own version at home using readily available ingredients.

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Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Chicken Board!!