My friend Heather from Massachusetts recently whipped up a batch of homemade flock blocks for her chickens. Today she is sharing her recipe. Thanks Heather!!
This is so easy you won’t even believe it!
Baby it is ccccold outside! Last night we got our first storm here in New England. So yesterday I cleaned the coop, filled up their food, cleaned their water out, and made a batch of homemade flock blocks!
The great thing about flock blocks is they are made of good stuff for the birds, easier than making cookies, they make your house smell great, and I get a sense of job-well-done because I made it myself.
The only bags of seed mixes my local feed store had were big enough to last me three winters worth of flock blocks, but that’s ok because each bag was $5-7 which is almost half the price of one flock block from the store. The other ingredients you probably have laying around.
Ingredients:
4 cups scratch grains {usually cracked corn, oats, barley, etc – or whatever mix they have at your feed store}
2 cups layer feed
2 cups oats {regular oatmeal oats}
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup whole wheat flour {whatever you have in your cupboard is fine}
1/2 cup wheat germ {I had wheat bran so I used that instead}
1/2 cup crushed egg shells or oyster grit
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper {good for their immune system}
6 eggs {weird I know, but think of it like a gelling unit}
1 cup molasses
1 cup solid-at-room-temperature oil {shortening or coconut}
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another bowl. The next step is kinda messy so lay out whatever pans you will be using. The pan size doesn’t really matter but it will affect your cook time so take that into account. I chose a small size so I can give them treats more often and… I have a whopping flock of four! Ha!
Now take off your rings and mix together with your hands – trust me, this is the only easy way to do this. 🙂 When you’re done mixing you should be able to squeeze the mixture and it stays in a form.
Next, load up your pans. And press the mixture down tight and flatten so it’s smooth on top to make your type-A self happy. 🙂 If you want to hang your flock blocks {you can also just lay it on a plate} poke a hole in it with a chopstick so you can thread it with twine later.
Bake at 325 degrees for 30 mins. It will turn a dark brown and the hole will look like it’s disappeared – it hasn’t, just poke it again. This part is really important – let it cool for HOURS. If you try to remove them from the pans while it’s hot, the flock blocks will fall apart and you may cry a little {ask me how I know}.
Run a knife around the edges because the molasses makes a little crust. Once it’s cooled – I let mine cool overnight {overnight is probably not necessary but I was traumatized from the previous attempt}, thread some garden twin through the hole and you’re done.
Roadrunner was a big fan of the flock block – Agnus and Mr. {really a misses} Bubblesworth where too busy checking out the camera {Goldfinger is camera shy}.
Tip: don’t leave your flock block in the rain – it will dissolve.
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Brenda says
Hi,
Happy Warm New Year!!!
I hope it’s much warmer for you than here in the upper midwest. Our highs for Jan 5 predicted to be -5 and Jan 6 a -15. No that’s not a typo it negative aka below zero before the windchills. burrrrrrrrr
I do want to thank you for all the time you put in your newsletter. It’s the one thing I look forward to each day after work.
Substution:
The wheat germ/bran caught my attention. These are not eually valued in nutitional inputs. The germ is the like the egg of the seed, the endosperm that’s the part used to make flour is the bulk of the seed, the bran is the seedcoat. Bran doesn’t have real nutritive value but to clean out the colon. The germ on the other hand is full of nutrition vitamins, proteins, and essential oils.
So, if you were calculating the nutritional value in the feedblocks it will be less with wheatbran than with wheatgerm. Thus your effecting the nutritional outcome of your eggs. If you just filler ok, but cornmeal or just extra whole grain flour would have given more nutritional inpact. (Just want you to have happy chickens so you have more eggs.) 🙂
PS for counting the weight of eggs the average large egg weighs 1 ounce.
(I’ve a minor in agronomy, and I’ve a family full of allergies so I’ve been studying the nutritional and substiting values of foods for over a decade. Sometimes I feel like a short order cook at home because of all the differences in diets. And like you we have to stay in a tight food budget. I garden and bulk buy when able. For family of 6 half are teens, we’ve got $300 monthly cap & usaully we stay closer to $200 groceries.)
Thank you again.
Brenda
Cwayne says
Actually 1 doz larg eggs official weight is 24 oz
1doz med eggs weigh 20 oz
Alli Aplet says
Hiya Mavis,
I was wondering if you have ever tried fermenting your chicken food or growing your own forage ? I found both ideas on Pinterest and have tried the fermented chicken food (which I purchase at Costco and the chickens love!). I am wanting to try sprouting barley as apparently you can turn a 50 pound sack of feed grade barley into 300 pounds of highly nutritious sprouted feed for your wonderful egg producers (and other livestock as well). Wondered what you thought?
Thank you for all you do Mavis, I really enjoy your dedication and hard work. So often I look at your posts and just wonder at the time and work you put into them!
Kindly,
Allison Aplet
Mavis Butterfield says
Oh I bet my chickens would love that. What a great idea.
Tracy Payne says
After seeing this recipe I made it and gave it to my chickens. They tore it up. I also shared with my neighbor who is a Veteran like myself. At the time I had about a 100 birds and this was more affordable once you have all the stuff. I also liked the fact that it was fresh. My feed store TSC had mice and all that was offered had the corners chewed out. At least this way I know it is fresh. I also had over ripe bananas and blended that in and you would have thought that they won the lottery.
I also wanted to reply to the sprouts. It works, just follow the instructions on how to tilt your trays so that the water flows from one level to the other. Keep the room temp at a level temp. If your chickens have no grass they will love this treat. If you live in an area with dry summers this could help with the feed bill. But you still have to give hay if you are feeding to cows, horses, and goats, but this method should save you major $$$ on actual feed costs. I now live in GA where we are getting plenty of rain so this will only be a treat method for me. I hope this helps you.
Tracy Payne
Jenny says
This is going to be my recipe if it works….(what I had on hand)
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups starter feed
2 cups scratch
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 egg and shell
1/2 cup egg shell finely crushed
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 cups chopped apples
2 cups applesauce
1 cup kayro syrup
1/2 cup hamburger drained fat at room temperature.
and a few LIVE BUGS!! (yes I collected live june bugs from outside!)
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Mix all wet ingredients together. Mix all dry ingredients together. Spray non-stick in all pans.
Mix all ingredients together well. Put into pans and pack flat tightly. With end of wooden spoon put hole in for hanging. Cook for 1-2 hrs on 350. Turn oven off and let cool completely. (I’m gonna let cool over night as well) Then carefully pop out of pans. (run a knife around the inside rim of each pan and invert to remove the block.) Put string through hole and hang in coop. Place remainder in plastic wrap and serve to chickens when they seem bored!
Cheryl says
Thank you so much for this! I can’t wait to make them for my flock of 8 chickens. I had bought one a while ago at our local feed store and I was shocked how fast they ate the whole dang thing! That was a very, very expensive chicken snack! LOL We give our girls cottage cheese most days and this will be a nice additional treat for them. Pinned this to my chicken board so I can find my way back to your site to look around some more. Thanks again!!
Marci Stickel says
I’m so curious! Why cottage cheese? We have only had chickens for about a year and I love learning all these new things!
maria lewis says
I love this. Plan on making this for my flock of over 100.
Lindsay says
I just made a batch of there and they turned out great! I added quinoa flakes and chia seeds along with lentil and bulgar. I tried to make it higher protein because my girls are finishing their second juvenile moult. I like the recipe because it allows you to be flexible with the ingredients. You could make batches for different purposes…maybe one with electrolytes for broody hens or birds who are showing.
I made mine into baseball and softball sized balls amd put a hole through the middle. They worked out really well and the girls got a kick out of them. The recipe yielded 9 balls and two flat blocks from a standard bread pan. Great yield and an easy recipe.
I am going to put one in my cages for birds staying at longer shows. Some shows are three or four days, so this will help with boredom!
Lisa says
How do you store these?
lurganave says
I don’t know but I would like to know. The batch I made got moldy I had to toss them. Not sure if you can freeze them or not. If you have found an answer please let me know
Caroline Moriarty says
I am going to vacuume seal them. I hope it keeps them fresh!
Sarah Percival says
Yes you can freeze and keep. Just wrap them well.
I freeze scratch treats even when I find bags on sale. Prolongs freshness and keeps bugs from getting them.
Beth Francell says
I see your coop and garden setup. I am wondering if you let your chickens out in the garden. When I do that, they eat all the seedlings and vegetables. Do you only let them out when the garden is dormant?
Winnie Deming says
I did lentil sprouts for my chickens this past winter. They loved it.
Kristy Graham says
The kids and I are making some flock blocks today for sure! I’m wanting to remake our chicken house and make it pretty. So I’m loving the pinterest today!
I did fodder, sprouted barley mats, for my animals for a few months and they LOVE it and it was fun! Not much work and I loved giving my critters fresh, fresh, green and live food. The only trick to it is you HAVE to use a scrub brush to clean the pan to grow the next batch. I think I’ll do it again! It took me 10 days to get the right height and root mat formed. I used dish pans to soak and then begin the sprouting process then transferred to trays. FUN! I bet my toddlers would LOVE doing this too!!
David Falchek says
I just wanted to thank you for this great recipe. I used it several times and it’s a great treat to leave for the hens if I’m away for a day or two.
Rhonda Adams says
This recipe is awesome… my chickens loved it!! Make sure you stir by hand though, just like she said so you don’t make a huge mess like I just did trying to mix it with an electric mixer 🙂
Rhonda
Paula says
How do you keep the leftovers? Will they keep at room temperature in sealed bags for a while, or do you need to freeze them until needed?
Bev says
I’ve made flock blocks simular to this recipe but also add peanut butter for a little extra protein and a binder. My girls just love these and almost knock it out of my hand before I can walk it out to their coop. And for all the questions on where to store these, I let mine air dry/harden for 2 days them bag them and store them in the fridge. One recipe only last about 2 weeks so it doesn’t make sense to freeze them.
Toni says
I am curious as to why not just throw 6 eggs in whole shell and all since it is getting cooked. Then use a beater to mix it all up. It dawned on me after I cracked mine and then rinsed the shells to get ready cook them. They turned out looking good and had to remind my husband not to eat them. They smell good.
Camille says
How do you print the recipe, did not see print.
Mavis Butterfield says
Camille, there is a green print tab at the bottom of the post. Click on that and it will take you to a page to print out the recipe. 🙂
Cynthia says
Would this be ok for Quail??
Lissa says
I am without chickens :(. But this is a whole world out there that I am fascinated by! Sounds rather
cannabalistic making them eat their own kind. haha
Samantha says
I added ground flax seed, Chia seed and apple cider vinegar!