Whole Corn Vs Cracked Corn, What do you use?

[cubalaya]

in the summer, my chickens would leave whole corn on the ground uneaten. of course all summer they get bugs, garden waste, and layer pellets. in the fall when they moult and egg production drops, i feed them whole corn and sunflower heads. most of this is gmo dent corn. they love it this time of year and the colder it gets the more they want it. i also grow heirloom varieties of popcorn, black sorghum and turnip greens which i feed until late december. at that time i use a five grain scratch that also contains whole corn. this increases fertility in the cocks. it is called 'rockin rooster'. the other cheaper scratch feed that contains cracked corn and wheat, they don't get excited about at all. then in january i usually go to the layer pellets exclusively until summer. whole corn is great if you know when to feed and keep in moderation. i would use it over cracked corn anytime. it adds fat and keeps chickens warm in my opinion.

 

[sarge]

Dent is a old time corn been around forever

 

[cubalaya]

yes there are old time strains of dent corn. the farmer that i buy mine from told me it was gmo. not only do i feed it to the chickens with good results but finished our hog on it last year

 

[gander007]

I use cracked corn and my chickens, geese, ducks, gunieas, not to mention the wild birds and rabbits love it up

 

[tyler12765]

ive always used cracked corn as a main source because they like it and its cheaper then pellets

 

[Chris09]

Understood. I use 3 way scratch sparingly as an addition. It helps get the birds off range and back to their yards as a lure in the afternoon. Corn does help produce body heat at night during the colder months as well.

Corn will not, ''help produce body heat" and this wives tail was proved incorrect more than one time through studies.
In fact it was proven incorrect more than one time on this site by a animal nutritionist that works for a leading poultry feed mfg.

What people either don't know or forget is that chickens eat to fill there caloretic needs, once that need is met they stop eating.
Corn is considered a "hot" feed do to the high amount of energy that it has (not that it gives off heat) but the energy is quickly used and does not last long at all that why a chicken on a high corn diet seems to be eating all the time.

 

[tielsandchooks]

I too feed whole corn to my chickens in fall and winter because that is what they want. Chickens are actually very particular about what they eat if they are given a choice. My chickens are given a wide variety of foods to choose from, and during the cold weather,whole corn (not cracked) is by far what they prefer. They really tank up on it late in the afternoon. The reason WHOLE corn is said to generate heat is because it takes longer to digest and the "fire" of digestion probably makes a small but significant difference in raising body temperature on a very cold night.

 

[Chris09]

I too feed whole corn to my chickens in fall and winter because that is what they want. Chickens are actually very particular about what they eat if they are given a choice. My chickens are given a wide variety of foods to choose from, and during the cold weather,whole corn (not cracked) is by far what they prefer. They really tank up on it late in the afternoon. The reason WHOLE corn is said to generate heat is because it takes longer to digest and the "fire" of digestion probably makes a small but significant difference in raising body temperature on a very cold night.

In side a chicken Whole Corn and Crack Corn break down at about the same rate. Remember a chicken has a crop, that crop and the stones in it grinds everything up before it reaches the stomach. So in turn everything is the same size during digestion.

If you want to "heat" a chicken up over feed protein.

 

[tielsandchooks]

True, a chicken has a crop but that is only where food is stored temporarily. The muscular walls of their gizzard (with the help of grit) is where food is broken down to be later digested in the stomach. Metabolism is what produces heat in a chicken, and metabolism is the sum of the chemical and physical processes that go on in the body. Whole corn does indeed take longer to be broken down in the gizzard than cracked corn. The slow mechanical action of the gizzard can help produce heat on a long cold winter night (and my chickens live in a very cold climate without supplemental heat). My chickens know what they need, and they CHOOSE to eat WHOLE corn over cracked corn in the winter. Of course, corn is only one of many things I feed my chickens.

 

[TERRY4]

I only use cracked corn and only feed it in the winter, as an additive to the regular feed. Or rather, as a daily snack, IF it's super cold out. Farmers in my area, including myself, have known for many years to give corn in the winter to help keep animals warm. A lab can't prove anything when it comes to that. But to each their own!

Cracked corn is best for us.