¿WHEAT?

[mjdtexan]

Yesterday I went to the feed store to get my girls some scratch. I generally get two 50lb bags. The feed store offers wheat as well but its always been a few dollars more per bag so I've never considered it. Well, she offered me a bag for the same price as the scratch so I took one of those plus 50lbs of the regular scratch.

Is there an advantage to giving my girls wheat instead of scratch? Or with it?

One more question iffin yall dont mind. I saw at the farmers market the other day a guy selling his eggs for $3 and his sign said they were Omega 3 eggs. How does one talk his girls into laying Omega 3 eggs?

 

[Skip]

Omega 3 eggs mean the chickens are eating fresh green grass. If you free range your chickens, you have omega three eggs.

Wheat has protein in it. Scratch usually doesn't have as much. Both are perfectly fine to feed. Feeding both together will make a lovely, nutritious scratch (not a complete feed, just a treat, really)

 

[NYREDS]

Companies that sell Omega 3 eggs [EGGLAND] feed food s high in Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Green grass isn't one of those foods. Here's a link that talks about sources of Omega 3s.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=84

 

[Oceanseve]

Does it need to be cracked?

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

wheat is much more healthier than scratch
as scratch is mostly corn and is adding fat to the gut of the chicken with less protein
here is some things wheat has over scratch

Nutrition Facts and Information about Wheat:
It contains Manganese, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Selenium in very large quantities. Rich in Zinc, Copper, Iron and Potassium. However, Calcium is also present in small amounts.

Vitamin Content of Wheat:
It is rich in Vitamin B6, Niacin, Thiamin, Folate, Riboflavin and Pantothenic Acid. Vitamin E and Vitamin K are also present in small but considerable amounts.

Calorie Content of Wheat:
Wheat has a calorific value of 339.0 per 100 gm. Being a grain, it is very appropriate in calories and hence, filling as a food.

This site has some very important facts on feeding chickens for layers

extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/pnw/pnw477/ - 15k - Cached

It is also noted whether feeding scratch or wheat just what they consume in 20 minutes
and scratch is for the actual exercise the chickens uses in scratching for the grain and ofcourse needing granite grit also with scratch or wheat

Wheat is about 12% protein so it is healthier for chickens as scratch is mostly corn and 9-10% protein value

and the fact that higher protein value is needed in summer
PDF] Feeding the Backyard Laying Flock File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
Higher protein levels are of value during hot weather ... should be 20 percent protein. If a greater portion of scratch grains is desirable, ...
www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/livepoul/pfs

 

[skeeter]

I feed whole wheat all the time ,no it dont need to be cracked,corn and wheat both have about 9% protein,

on that link I didnt see one thing that talked about feeding chickens,

I do know free range chickens lay better eggs than couped up chickens

 

[mjdtexan]

I want to thank all of Yall for the responses.

 

[PAJerry]

Wheat grain is good, wheat sprouts are even better. Wheat is very easy to sprout and the chickens love it. Sprouting increases vitamin and protein content and sprouted wheat is a source of CoQ10, a potent immune system booster.

 

[digitS']

Grains vary in protein content but they aren't "balanced" for the bird. So, without the addition of other needed amino acids, some of that protein is just lost.

Wheat and corn can be important parts of a feed formula. The idea that they should be given in limited quantity whole or cracked by measuring weight or time that the chickens can eat them is a good one. A hundred years ago, they were often the sole feed for a farm flock thru the Winter. However, egg production was really not expected until the birds could get out and find something else to eat in the Spring.

The Omega 3 fatty acid content of the eggs can be boosted a good deal by adding flax seed to the layers' diet. However, flaxoil is used for house paint. Ever notice that fishy smell to an oil-based paint? I believe that no more than 10% is what is recommended in their diets or you may have eggs that won't pass the smell test.

Steve

 

[mjdtexan]

Thank all of Yall for the responses. I just throw a few handfulls over to them during the day and at night when I close their pop door. I also mix it with the regular scratch. They seem to like it and I will probably continue to mix it 50/50 with the scratch.