Can I feed whole, dried corn to chickens?

[chickengeorgeto]

... I purchased some whole dried corn at the grocery store - thinking I'd feed it to my chickens. Most people on this forum talk about feeding cracked corn. I was wondering if there was any reason... that I shouldn't feed it...

Whole shelled corn is no more harmful to a chickens' health or well being than oats, soybean meal, wheat, grain sorghum, millet, barley, or sunflower seeds. There are many more times of dried out, broken, powdered, or #3 grade corn kernels in cracked corn than there is in #1 or #2 shelled corn. IMHO the only thing standing in the way of feeding your chickens whole corn is the unfamiliarity most modern "farmers" have with farming.

I have watched young chicks spend 10 minutes getting a grain of shelled corn turned just right in their wittle bitty beaks so the peep could swallow the kernel and besides the chick never showed any ill effects.

Besides cracked corn is missing many of the good parts of a corn kernel because it has dried out in storage. Cracked corn is routinely augmented with the dust and sweepings from the floor of the truck, barge, train car, ship, silo, or elevator it was shipped or stored in.

Don't worry about your chicks having trouble chewing their dry shelled corn because chickens have that chewing thing figured out.

 

[wyndham carruth]

You said "as long as they have access to grit." What exactly is grit, what does that mean?

grit is the small rocks/broken oyster shell that helps the chicken to digest their food. they only need a small amount but it really helps. grit will help break up the kernels, rather than the chicken doing it all itself.

 

[bufforp89]

My birds get whole corn in the winter as a treat. Just make sure you feed in moderation as it is fatty with no real nutritional value for chickens.

 

[Moogie]

Thank you! I'll only give it as a treat to round the girls up and get them back in their pen. OK - I also let the grandkids throw some BOSS out, cause they just look so darn cute surrounded by a flock of chickens eating out of their hands.

We've had such a long, hot summer here that I haven't given any corn or scratch - this morning it's in the 60's - woohoo!

 

[Moogie]

You didn't comment on how many times a day that we may violate the treat rule. gig

...so true...!

 

[carolinasculpture]

Hi! I got some for my girls last winter, thought they'd love it...they didn't eat any of it??!!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Some of us serve a three course meal of treats sometimes!!!

 

[Gullygarden]

Quote:
Free range?

 

[Beekissed]

A lot but not all the time.

 

[Trishkabob]

funny, we just wandered over to a corn field near our property and found that the farmer never harvested. Lots of ears of rock hard corn that we picked off and gave our 3 girls (who never looked twice at cracked corn scratch we BOUGHT for them)...they loved it.
But then I wondered if it might be bad for them so I'm glad to see I was overthinking...
Happy Thanksgiving to all!