Can chickens eat oatmeal? Yes, chickens love being given treats and oatmeal is no exception! As long as you follow a few guidelines, oatmeal can make a very healthy and nutritional treat for your flock.
1. Quantity: How Much Oatmeal Can I Give My Chickens?
Oatmeal is considered a treat for chickens. Each chicken should only have about 1 TBS of treats per day. Plan on giving your flock its regular feed first though. After they finish their regular chicken feed, then you can offer oatmeal.
Most chickens go absolutely crazy when fed oatmeal and will choose oatmeal over their regular feed. To avoid this from happening, just feed them a nutritionally balanced chicken feed first.
How Much Oatmeal to Give a Flock of Chickens
| #CHICKENS | AMOUNT OF OATMEAL |
|---|---|
| 4 | 1/4 CUP |
| 8 | 1/2 CUP |
| 12 | 3/4 CUP |
| 16 | 1 CUP |
| 20 | 1 1/4 CUPS |
| 24 | 1 1/2 CUPS |
2. Frequency: How Often Can Chickens Have Oatmeal?
Offering your flock oatmeal once a week as a treat is sufficient. Oatmeal is a healthy treat to give your chickens in moderation. Try to vary the types of treats that you offer to your flock. This way you are more likely to provide a variety of different nutrients for them.
Nutritional Benefits of Feeding Oatmeal to Chickens
Oatmeal provides a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
| SELENIUM | TOCOPHEROLS |
| IRON | TOCOTRIENOLS-(TYPE OF VITAMIN E) |
| COPPER | PHYTIC ACID |
| ZINC | FLAVENOIDS |
| MANGANESE | NON FLAVANOID PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS |
| B VITAMINS: THIAMINE(B1), RIBOFLAVIN(B2), NIACIN(B3) | PROTEIN |
| PHOSPHORUS | RIBOFLAVIN |
| CALCIUM | MAGNESIUM |
| CHOLINE |
According to the US Department of Agriculture, providing 3% of a chickens diet in the form of oats can improve its overall health. This will help to decrease chicken aggression and feather pecking.
3. Treating Chicken Pasty Butt with Oatmeal
Sometimes chickens develop diarrhea and this can lead to some of its feces sticking to its vent feathers. This is called, “chicken pasty butt.”
Baby chicks are especially prone to developing chicken pasty butt and can benefit from feeding a little bit of dried oats to.
@backyardchickensmama CHICK Pasty Butt Prevention TIP: 🐥#raisingchicks #chickens #backyardchickens #backyardchickensmama
♬ It’s Time to Eat – Pinkfong
Stressful Conditions that Can Lead to Chicken Pasty Butt
- hatching (Yes, hatching is a very stressful event for chicks!)
- moving to a new home (mail transport or just moving into a new coop)
- being chilled
- being handled too often
- illness
- parasites
- lack of nutritional food and water
- predators around
- crowded conditions
- bullying
How to Treat Chicken Pasty Butt
- Baby Chicks:
- Offer ground up or blended, plain(no added sugars), uncooked dried oats.
- I use my blender to blend it up into a powder form for newborn chicks for the first 2 weeks. As they get older, it can be blended less.
- This can be done either as a preventative or for treatment of chick pasty butt.
- For chicks actively suffering from chick pasty butt, it is very important to clean the feces that are stuck to their back end immediately. Read my article What is Chicken Pasty Butt? 5 Important Facts You Need to Know for instructions how to do this.
- Always make sure that your chicks are eating their regular chick starter feed and have access to unlimited source of water.
- I only leave the dried oatmeal in the brooder for a few minutes each day, beginning from around day 2. This way, the chicks will get used to what its regular feed is and not overindulge in the dried oats.
- I have never had an issue with chick pasty butt since beginning this regimen.
- Adult Chickens:
- Adult chickens can be offered plain, uncooked oats.
- For adult chickens actively suffering from chicken pasty butt, it is very important to clean the feces from your chickens back end first! For tips on how to do this, read my article, What is Chicken Pasty Butt? 5 Important Facts You Need to Know.
- Offer 1 TBS of dried oats daily, until it clears.
- Make sure that your chickens always have access to clean, fresh water 24/7.
4. Types: What Kind of Oats Can I Give My Chickens?
Can Chickens Eat Uncooked Oatmeal?
- Uncooked Oats are safe to feed your chickens.
- Rolled Oats (steamed and rolled; also called “Old Fashioned Oats”)
- Whole Oats or Groats (least processed oats; harvested and hulls removed only)
- Steel Cut Oats(not rolled or steamed; cut with a sharp blade into about 3 pieces)
Can I Feed My Chickens Cooked Oatmeal?
- Cooked Oats are safe to feed your chickens.
- Rolled Oats (steamed and rolled; also called “Old Fashioned Oats”)
- Whole Oats or Groats (least processed oats; harvested and hulls removed only)
- Steel Cut Oats(cut with a sharp blade into about 3 pieces and have a chewier consistency when cooked)
Feeding Chickens Flavored Oatmeal
- Flavored Oatmeal with added sugars should be avoided at all times. This includes both the cooked and uncooked forms of it. Added sugars can lead to your chicken becoming overweight and also more likely to suffer from other health issues such as high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.
5. What Can I Put Inside Oatmeal for Chickens?
Benefits of Adding Natural Herbs to Your Chickens Oatmeal
There are several natural herbs that can be sprinkled inside the oatmeal to help:
- increase hen egg production
- increase egg quality
- larger eggs
- thicker egg shells
- improve chicken health
- hen produce eggs that are nutritionally better for you to eat
| NATURAL HERBS THAT INCREASE EGG QUALITY, EGG PRODUCTION AND HEN HEALTH |
|---|
| 1. MARIGOLDS |
| 2. ROSEMARY |
| 3. FENNEL |
| 4. CHAMOMILE |
| 5. PEPPERMINT |
| 6. PARSLEY |
| 7. MARJORAM |
| 8. DANDELION LEAF |
| 9. LAVENDER |
Increases egg laying naturally.
- Improves chicken health.
- Deters parasites: mites, lice, fleas, flies & rodents.
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Other Fun Oatmeal Additives that Chickens Love
| TRY ADDING THESE TO OATMEAL | BENEFITS |
|---|---|
| BERRIES: BLUEBERRIES, STRAWBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES | FILLED WITH VITAMINS, MINERALS AND ANTIOXIDANTS |
| CAYENNE PEPPER | ⬆︎CIRCULATION (HELPS TO KEEP THEM WARM) |
| CINNAMON | ⬆︎IMMUNITY, ⬆︎ABILITY TO ABSORB NUTRIENTS, IMPROVES RESPIRATORY HEALTH |
| MEALWORMS | ⬆︎PROTEIN (ESPECIALLY GOOD DURING MOLTING) |
| CRICKETS | ⬆︎PROTEIN (ESPECIALLY GOOD DURING MOLTING) |
| DICED APPLES | ⬆︎VITAMINS, MINERALS, ANTIOXIDANTS AND PREBIOTICS |
Cayenne pepper will help to increase blood circulation to your chickens comb, wattles and feet, helping to keep them warm. Add this to some warm oatmeal and serve it to your chickens. This is especially good during the cold winter months!
If you add cayenne pepper to the oatmeal, don’t worry about the oatmeal being too spicy for your chickens because unlike humans, chickens cannot taste spicy!
Serving Warm Oatmeal to Your Chickens
Serving warm oatmeal to your flock on a cold winter day will make you feel good about helping to warm your flock. But just know that chickens are very cold tolerant and do not need to have warm oatmeal to warm up.
Chickens have a built in heater with waterproof feathers and can do a really good job regulating their body temperature. As long as they are provided with shelter to protect them from the elements of wind, rain, sleet and snow, they should do just fine.
Conclusion: 5 Important Things You Need to Know-Can Chickens eat Oatmeal?
- Chickens can eat oatmeal, both cooked and uncooked as long as it is served in moderation and is without any sugar additives. 1 TBS per adult hen is the serving size.
- Limit serving oatmeal to your flock, no more than once a week.
- Serving dried oatmeal to baby chicks and adult hens can both help prevent and clear up chicken pasty butt.
- It is safe for chickens to eat both cooked and uncooked oatmeal. They can have whole oats, steel cut oats and rolled oats (old-fashioned oats).
- Consider adding some natural herbs to the oatmeal to help increase hen egg production, egg quality and the overall health of your chickens.
