Chickens have long eaten cracked corn as part of their diet. Cracked corn chicken feed is affordable and easily available, but is it good for chickens? There is no doubt that chickens enjoy it. However, chickens require a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins. Despite its nutritional value, cracked corn does not provide all of the nutrients chickens require to remain healthy.
Providing chickens with cracked corn in combination with other vitamins & minerals is good for them. There is no reason for chickens to rely on this alone for their vitamin and mineral needs. It is important for chickens to consume cracked corn as a complementary snack to other, more nutritious foods on a daily basis.
Your chickens' behavior and the quality of their eggs can be affected by their nutrition. Read on if you're interested in learning more about cracked corn in your chickens' diet.
Many of the chickens' needs will be met by the soil and bugs. Also, chickens will eat plants, so make sure they have plenty of leafy green veggie plants, instead of just cracked corn, to ensure they're getting a variety of nutrients.
Is there a chicken that hogs most of the cracked corn? Do some chickens seem less interested in it than others?
Each chicken has its own personality, which makes them fun to watch. It may take longer to find out what type of food your chickens like if you have a lot of them.
It is very likely that some chickens will get to all the cracked corn and finish it off before the rest of them even have a chance to get hungry if the flock is not free-ranging. When chickens eat and mealtimes come around, the pecking order also plays a role.
A chicken's health can be adversely affected by eating too much corn than it should.
Not only will egg production decrease but hens deficient in protein will start plucking at one another's feathers. The best way to prevent any of this from happening is to make sure your chickens are getting enough protein along with cracked corn.
It is important to make cracked corn a novelty in order for it to be an effective treat. It must be a new, exciting treat, not an everyday part of a meal. If your chickens follow your commands, give them this treat as a reward.
You can get flocks to run for the coop by yelling a common phrase and shaking your cracked corn bag. Give the chickens some cracked corn as a reward for their good behavior. You must deliver the cracked corn as soon as possible after the behavior occurs, otherwise the purpose of the treatment may be lost.
In addition, feeding scratch promotes health. Chickens digest their food by swallowing small pebbles called grit since they don't have teeth. To help their digestive system perform optimally, they will ingest some digestive aids, such as rocks, as they dig around for cracked corn. These will help grind the food down in the gizzard.
Your chickens will get more excited if they realize corn treats are right under their feet if they're already used to cracked corn being a special treat. They'll still be motivated to get the cracked corn even though it'll take a little work.
The chickens will need extra grit if they don't spend much time free-ranging. Usually, most dirt contains crushed gravel, a natural resource that can be used. Before laying down scratch feed, you may need to buy some grit if you live in an area without a lot of dirt.
Your chickens can become bored if they are kept in a coop all the time. There may not be enough grit as a result. Keeping chickens entertained with scratch feed can keep them interested in finding the cracked corn, then they'll eat the grit as well.
Depending on your situation, this may or may not matter to you. The issue will not be a serious one if your coop is enclosed and well-heated. For chickens that live a little more on the wild side, you might consider adding cracked corn to their diets. The key is moderation once again.
Here are my tips on how to care for chickens in the winter months.
The area where cracked corn is stored should be kept clean in order to prevent unwanted pests from getting a free meal. In addition, it will prevent critters from spotting food sources nearby.
Moderation is key! The 90/10 rule is the most important rule to remember. Essentially this means chickens should receive 90% of their food from commercial feed, and the remaining 10% (about a palmful per chicken) should be left for treats like fruits, veggies, and other table scraps - this includes cracked corn.
While we're on the topic of chicken feed, here are some interesting reads for you:
Providing chickens with cracked corn in combination with other vitamins & minerals is good for them. There is no reason for chickens to rely on this alone for their vitamin and mineral needs. It is important for chickens to consume cracked corn as a complementary snack to other, more nutritious foods on a daily basis.
Your chickens' behavior and the quality of their eggs can be affected by their nutrition. Read on if you're interested in learning more about cracked corn in your chickens' diet.
Can Cracked Corn Be Fed to Chickens?
Chickens enjoy eating cracked corn throughout the day as a snack. In spite of this, your poultry shouldn't be fed only this kind of food. When feeding your chickens, you should consider several factors.Free Range Chickens and Cracked Corn
To roam freely, free-range chickens must have a good energy source in their food. The carbs in cracked corn are high, but the protein and vitamins are lacking. A small amount of crack corn can be a treat for free-range chickens.Many of the chickens' needs will be met by the soil and bugs. Also, chickens will eat plants, so make sure they have plenty of leafy green veggie plants, instead of just cracked corn, to ensure they're getting a variety of nutrients.
Cracked Corn Is An Affordable Alternative
Feeding a larger flock is more difficult than feeding just a few chickens. Cracked corn is a cheap and easy way to feed chickens. It is fine to feed cracked corn to chickens, but giving it to larger flocks can pose some problems.Is there a chicken that hogs most of the cracked corn? Do some chickens seem less interested in it than others?
Each chicken has its own personality, which makes them fun to watch. It may take longer to find out what type of food your chickens like if you have a lot of them.
It is very likely that some chickens will get to all the cracked corn and finish it off before the rest of them even have a chance to get hungry if the flock is not free-ranging. When chickens eat and mealtimes come around, the pecking order also plays a role.
A chicken's health can be adversely affected by eating too much corn than it should.
What Happens If Chickens Eat Too Much Cracked Corn
- Eggshells that are thin or nonexistent
- Eggs of poor quality
- Reducing egg production
- Loss of feathers
- Chicken disease
What's the Primary Purpose of your Chickens?
There will be a greater need for protein in egg layers than in other chickens. Chickens fed exclusively cracked corn will lack protein due to a lack of protein in their diet.Not only will egg production decrease but hens deficient in protein will start plucking at one another's feathers. The best way to prevent any of this from happening is to make sure your chickens are getting enough protein along with cracked corn.
Feeding Cracked Corn to Chickens
As long as it's done correctly, cracked corn is a convenient and inexpensive food source for chickens. When feeding cracked corn to your chickens, consider implementing some of these strategies to avoid some of the issues we discussed.Train your chickens with cracked corn
You can keep chickens as pets as well as use them for laying eggs. Would you like to teach your chickens to speak or shake? A chicken can also be taught to come when you call it. You can use this method to round up your chickens after several hours of roaming.It is important to make cracked corn a novelty in order for it to be an effective treat. It must be a new, exciting treat, not an everyday part of a meal. If your chickens follow your commands, give them this treat as a reward.
You can get flocks to run for the coop by yelling a common phrase and shaking your cracked corn bag. Give the chickens some cracked corn as a reward for their good behavior. You must deliver the cracked corn as soon as possible after the behavior occurs, otherwise the purpose of the treatment may be lost.
Cracked Corn as Scratch Feed
Feeding chickens scratch grains makes them scratch the ground. The chickens will dig and scratch to get the corn when you sprinkle it around the yard. With scratch feed, they get a snack and an activity all in one.In addition, feeding scratch promotes health. Chickens digest their food by swallowing small pebbles called grit since they don't have teeth. To help their digestive system perform optimally, they will ingest some digestive aids, such as rocks, as they dig around for cracked corn. These will help grind the food down in the gizzard.
Your chickens will get more excited if they realize corn treats are right under their feet if they're already used to cracked corn being a special treat. They'll still be motivated to get the cracked corn even though it'll take a little work.
The chickens will need extra grit if they don't spend much time free-ranging. Usually, most dirt contains crushed gravel, a natural resource that can be used. Before laying down scratch feed, you may need to buy some grit if you live in an area without a lot of dirt.
Your chickens can become bored if they are kept in a coop all the time. There may not be enough grit as a result. Keeping chickens entertained with scratch feed can keep them interested in finding the cracked corn, then they'll eat the grit as well.
Keeping Chickens Warm With Cracked Corn
In order to stay warm, chickens eat cracked corn to produce body heat. Chickens can benefit from crack corn in the cooler weather for increased energy, which provides them with a bit of extra heat.Depending on your situation, this may or may not matter to you. The issue will not be a serious one if your coop is enclosed and well-heated. For chickens that live a little more on the wild side, you might consider adding cracked corn to their diets. The key is moderation once again.
Here are my tips on how to care for chickens in the winter months.
The area where cracked corn is stored should be kept clean in order to prevent unwanted pests from getting a free meal. In addition, it will prevent critters from spotting food sources nearby.
Conclusion
As long as it is not used as the only food source for chickens, a small amount of corn is good for them. However, too much cracked corn can be harmful. Providing chickens with other foods that provide additional protein and other nutrients ensures their health. As an alternative to adding variety to your chickens' diet or an occasional healthy snack, you can also feed them fresh corn on the cob, loose corn kernels, and kitchen scraps made up of vegetables & fruit.Moderation is key! The 90/10 rule is the most important rule to remember. Essentially this means chickens should receive 90% of their food from commercial feed, and the remaining 10% (about a palmful per chicken) should be left for treats like fruits, veggies, and other table scraps - this includes cracked corn.
While we're on the topic of chicken feed, here are some interesting reads for you:
