Having blown out 5 dozen Marans eggs yesterday to brand Christmas ornaments, I had a lifetime render of raw eggs that needed to hold out cooked. What ameliorate means to purpose them than to supplement the diet of my molting hens? Many of my chickens are molting. Losing onetime feathers in addition to growing novel ones taxes their liberate energy in addition to nutrient stores since feathers consist of 85% protein. This protein-packed Alfalfa Soufflé Garland is a delicious means to offering molting chickens several poly peptide sources inward 1 process spell keeping them entertained in addition to active!
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ALFALFA SOUFFLE™ INGREDIENTS
Serves approximately 25 chickens, 1 2" foursquare slice each
12 eggs
1/2 loving cup of mealworms
3/4 loving cup wheat germ
1 loving cup calendula petals
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 loving cup wheat germ
1 loving cup calendula petals
1 tablespoon cinnamon
12-15 cubes of alfalfa, soaked inward H2O (approximately ii cups when re-hydrated)
crushed eggshells from three or iv eggs
Cooking spray
9x12" baking pan or cupcake pans
LET'S MAKE IT!
Place alfalfa cubes into a apartment dish/container/pan inward a unmarried layer. Add H2O to the dish until it comes one-half means upward the sides of the cubes. The alfalfa volition get to soften in addition to may take to hold out turned over & to a greater extent than H2O added earlier it is soft plenty to pause apart. When completely softened, pause apart FULLY past times hand, removing whatever particularly long, tough pieces. They should hold out moist when added to the egg mixture, non soaking wet.
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease cupcake pans or baking pan amongst cooking spray in addition to laid aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, wheat germ, calendula in addition to cinnamon, whisking to combine.
Pour inward prepared pans. Sprinkle crushed eggshells on top.
Bake cupcake sized pans 15-20 minutes or until puffed upward in addition to eggs, cooked through.
Bake 9x13" pan forty minutes or until puffed upward in addition to eggs are set.
Remove from oven in addition to cool.
STRINGING THE GARLAND
Using a length of 24 guess floral wire, force wire through 3-5 grapes, press wire through the side/center of 1 of the Alfalfa Soufflé pieces, add together to a greater extent than grapes in addition to repeat. Attach garland to a stable construction equally indicated below.
STRING ADVISORY
An abundance of caution should used when hanging treats for chickens. I recommend digestive tract, crusade crop impaction, an emergency requiring professional veterinarian intervention or death. Always closely monitor the chickens spell enjoying the hanging process in addition to take away string from the chicken yard equally shortly equally they’re done amongst the treat.
TIPS FOR HELPING CHICKENS THROUGH Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 MOLT
1. Reduce their stress degree equally much equally possible. Try non to motion them to a novel living quarters or introduce whatever novel flock members during a molt.
2. Limit handling to avoid inflicting hurting in addition to to operate along stress to a minimum.
3. Supplement their diet amongst extra poly peptide past times switching their layer feed to a starter ration, a starter/grower or a Flock Raiser feed.
4. Offer high poly peptide treats entirely occasionally in addition to inward moderation, meaning: no to a greater extent than than ii tablespoons per aeroplane per 24-hour interval on special occasions, non every day.*
4. Offer high poly peptide treats entirely occasionally in addition to inward moderation, meaning: no to a greater extent than than ii tablespoons per aeroplane per 24-hour interval on special occasions, non every day.*
Much to a greater extent than well-nigh the procedure of molting in addition to plume growth, HERE.
RANDOM, INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ALFALFA
*Alfalfa should non transcend 5% of a laying hen’s daily diet for reasons beyond the orbit of this article.
*Alfalfa is a proficient source of carotenoids, which makes egg yolks deeper, darker orange.
*Alfalfa is a found inward the legume family. (who knew?)
*Since it is high inward dietary fiber, it moves through the digestive tract slower than other feed ingredients.
*USE CAUTION WHEN INCREASING PROTEIN LEVELS IN HENS' DIET
Only render extra poly peptide to backyard chickens when appropriate, such equally during a molt. “The consumption of high poly peptide diets, particularly meats in addition to eggs, tin significantly increment the rates of types of aggression betwixt hens.” 1"Incorrect diets that comprise excessive levels of poly peptide causes wetter droppings since the extra poly peptide is converted into urates. This causes your chicken to potable to a greater extent than thus yous volition encounter an increment inward urates leading to wet, damp bedding."2
TREATS IN MODERATION
All treats should hold out offered to chickens sparingly in addition to infrequently. When chickens swallow treats, they’re non eating feed, which is their main source of nutrition. Commercially prepared feed is real carefully formulated past times poultry nutritionists who closely monitor the composition of ingredients to ensure that a chicken’s daily vitamin, mineral in addition to poly peptide requirements are met. Supplemental foods (treats/snacks) supplant a part of those essential dietary elements. Excessive treats, fifty-fifty salubrious ones, tin crusade whatever of the following: obesity, reduced egg production, malformed eggs, habitual laying of multiple-yolked eggs, vent prolapse, a poly peptide deficiency, feather-picking, fatty liver syndrome, increased gamble of heat stroke and pump problems. Treats should hold out express to no to a greater extent than than 5% of a chicken's diet, which amounts to about ii tablespoons of treats inward whatever given day. Treats/scraps/snacks should non hold out fed to chickens daily due to the obesity-related wellness concerns which accept reached epidemic proportions inward backyard chickens.
Sources & farther reading:
1 The Chicken: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Natural History. Barber, Daly,Rutland , Cawthray, Hauber . Race Point Publishing, 2012 p. 109
1 The Chicken: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Natural History. Barber, Daly,
Poultry Diseases, Pattison, McMullin, Bradbury & Alexander. 2008
Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens, Damerow. 1995
The Chicken Health Handbook, Damerow. 1994
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