Am I feeding them right?

[Brookeee2013]

I have been feeding my 2 hens and one rooster Dumor Crumbles (which they loved). One day I decided to go buy them some cracked corn as a treat. Now they won't eat anything but the cracked corn. Is this bad? If so, what should I switch them to?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Cracked corn is a nice thing to feed, just a wee bit, on the rarer occasion, for a "come here" reward, or as a scratch for them to dig up some soil, etc. It isn't needed as a "feed" at all. Chickens can become addicted to certain things which simply are not balanced in nutrition. Cracked corn is one of those potentially addictive things.

For most people, feeding a complete feed is their best solution for good health and egg production.

BTW, they cannot eat the cracked corn if you don't feed it. Within a day or two, they'll go right back to their complete, crumble feed and eat it lustily.

 

[aoxa]

Yes that's bad. They will eat their regular food if you cut the crack corn out completely.

 

[aoxa]

Cracked corn is a nice thing to feed, just a wee bit, on the rarer occasion, for a "come here" reward, or as a scratch for them to dig up some soil, etc.  It isn't needed as a "feed" at all.  Chickens can become addicted to certain things which simply are not balanced in nutrition.  Cracked corn is one of those potentially addictive things.

For most people, feeding a complete feed is their best solution for good health and egg production.

BTW, they cannot eat the cracked corn if you don't feed it.  Within a day or two, they'll go right back to their complete, crumble feed and eat it lustily.

Hey Fred,

Is cracked corn better or worse for them than regular corn on the cob as a treat?

 

[Brookeee2013]

thank you so much! so even if they dont eat for a couple of days because i took it away, its ok?

 

[aoxa]

thank you so much! so even if they dont eat for a couple of days because i took it away, its ok?

They will eat it. Don't give them any treats for a couple of days.

Also - how old is your regular feed? There is a shelf life for chicken feed, and it may be stale or have gone bad. Especially since 3 chickens don't eat much at all. I believe the feed shelf life is 2-3 months.

 

[Fred's Hens]

thank you so much! so even if they dont eat for a couple of days because i took it away, its ok?

Yup. They are similar to spoiled kids, or adults for that matter. They do not and will not starve themselves. Trust me. As for cracked corn or whole corn or whole grains, these all require grit to grind up for nutrition. Crumbles do not require grit. They are just mush.