This Christmas, why not make your hens a festive treat? This homemade seed block recipe will keep your flock happy and busy for hours, plus it’s got some nutritional goodness in it too.
This easy recipe from Grit is a fun activity to do with the family and many of the ingredients mentioned can be found on our shop website or in any local supplier.
NOTE: we must point out that it can only be made from within a vegan kitchen, as it is illegal to feed scraps or any food to your hens from a non-vegan kitchen. For more information please see our page on feeding hens.
All you need:
- 250g mixed corn
- 125g layers mash
- 90g rolled oats
- 65g sunflower seeds
- 20g wheat germ
- 25g wholemeal flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 eggs
- 170g black treacle
- 108g coconut oil, warmed to be a liquid (120ml)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 160 C.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Pat into several small baking dishes so your blocks are approximately five centimetres thick. Three 15 centimetres round cake pans work perfectly. (Optional, use a chopstick to make a hole in each block so you can hang them in the run.)
- Bake for 30 minutes, then cool completely. Run a knife around the inside rim of each pan and turn upside down to remove the block.
- Serve to a flock of very happy hens. Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen and then defrosted as needed. Serve in small, limited amounts as a treat so your hens don’t overindulge; no more than a teaspoon of treats per hen per day is the suggested portion.
Don’t forget to tag us in your successful seed block photos; we’d love to see if your hens approve!
