Is whole corn good for your chickens?

[JesusE98]

I feed my chickens whole corn but im wondering if the whole corn is giving them the nutrients they need.

 

[Den in Penn]

Welcome to BYC.
You are right to wonder that. Corn is no more a complete food for them then it would be for you. It lacks enough protein and many of the nutrients that is need for a good diet.

 

[eimearodowd]

Whole corn is certainly better than cracked corn, as it has the oils and nutrients that cracked corn lacks. However, you don't want it to be the staple of your chicken's diet. You should offer them a pellet or crumble feed as the base, with grit always included.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I feed my chickens whole corn but im wondering if the whole corn is giving them the nutrients they need.

Whole corn is part of an appropriate diet for chickens but the amount of vitamins and other nutrients in shelled corn is below a chicken's recommended daily needs.

Shelled corn (whole corn) is a good way to pass out a treat that hens love. If it is available get Argentine Flint Corn or some type of shelled sweet or pop corn. If these varieties are not available where you are, plain old "yellar" feed corn or dent corn will do. Sitting in a folding chair or even on an overturned feed bucket and passing out a pint or two of shelled corn every day, a kernel at a time is the easiest way that I know of to become best buddies with your biddies. A good grade of corn is light on dust, short on broken kernels and it looks and feels slightly slick or oily and shiny when you rub it between your thumb and forefinger. Chicks only a few days old will eat whole corn but it may require several attempts for the bird to turn the kernel in its little beak so that it can get it to go down. It will not hurt a bird.

Oh. BTW. Welcome to the BYC Flock, you hear?

One more thing, seed corn is treated to kill mold and weevils so never never never feed seed corn to any live stock because at best you'll end up with dead stock.

 

[JesusE98]

Whole corn is part of an appropriate diet for chickens but the amount of vitamins and other nutrients in shelled corn is below a chicken's recommended daily needs.

Shelled corn (whole corn) is a good way to pass out a treat that hens love.  If it is available get Argentine Flint Corn or some type of shelled sweet or  pop corn.  If these varieties are not available where you are, plain old "yellar" feed corn or dent corn will do.  Sitting in a folding chair or even on an overturned feed bucket and passing out a pint or two of shelled corn every day, a kernel at a time is the easiest way that I know of to become best buddies with your biddies.  A good grade of corn is light on dust, short on broken kernels and it looks and feels slightly slick or oily and shiny when you rub it between your thumb and forefinger.  Chicks only a few days old will eat whole corn but it may require several attempts for the bird to turn the kernel in its little beak so that it can get it to go down.  It will not hurt a bird.

Oh. BTW.  Welcome to the BYC Flock, you hear?

One more thing, seed corn is treated to kill mold and weevils so never never never feed seed corn to any live stock because at best you'll end up with dead stock. 

 

[Cubzwin1908]

I add whole corn to a mixture of grains that I ferment for three days....whirl it all up in the food processor and the gang loves it. Best part is the probiotic action has cleared up a nagging dirty bottom on one old girl. She has the fluffy clean butt of her youth back.

 

[FarmerMac]

I add whole corn to a mixture of grains that I ferment for three days....whirl it all up in the food processor and the gang loves it. Best part is the probiotic action has cleared up a nagging dirty bottom on one old girl. She has the fluffy clean butt of her youth back.

I also give whole corn to my flock (chickens and turkeys). I let the corn soak in a bucket for a few days. When it is time to feed them, I mixed the corn with other grains and chicken feed.

 

[nissalovescats]

I found a 'recipe' for chicken feed online, it was whole corn, whole oats, wheat, and sunflower seeds. I fed that to my hens last year and they did well on it. I sometimes cooked a few cups of the mixed grain in a slow cooker for them, and they really loved that.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I feed whole corn daily, but I also feed a good all flock ration too.

 

[bigt447]

Corn does not change its make-up when simply cracked....it's still 100% corn. Check it out.