Any recommended Fall/Winter food?

[DDRanch]

Do you change or add to your food for fall and winter? My hens are just over a year old now. I have them on 20% egg layer crumbles, some scratch, lots of fruits and vegs from my garden, free range 4-6 hours a day and will be adding sunflower seeds. Oyster shell always available.

Anything else I need to give them? Or something else I should be doing? It seldom freezes, never snows where I am in California.

Anne

 

[chickiebaby]

Someimtes a little extra corn of any kind, on a cold night, will help them stay warm.

 

[Michigan Chickman]

Good qustion DDRanch. My girls are used to their daily fruit and veggie treats as well, but I'm worried about that this Winter. Not a lot of readily available "low cost" veggies in Michigan in the middle of Winter

I look foward to reading some of the BYC creativity regarding Winter feeding!

 

[wyliefarms]

Sounds like you are doing everything right.

 

[sundance]

Ifeed mine scratch in the winter. someone posted that the corn helped them stay warm in the winter guess it put some body fat on them, but thats the only thing different that I do, and sometimes it does snow here. marrie

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
Actually, there was a long thread about if corn raises the body temperature and from what I read, it Doesn't.

 

[leasmom]

Being new to chickens this is on my mind too and I too am in Michigan. I have a winter coop so they will be alot warmer but I have no ideal what to feed them...they are refusing the oats right now and only eating bird seed, so I'm trying to figure this out too.

 

[DDRanch]

Leasmom, welcome to the BYC. So glad you are here.

The age of your chickens will depend on the kind of feed they will need. So, the first question is: How old are your chickens? Oats and birdseed will not provide the kind of nutrients or calories necessary for healthy birds. They may be good treats, on occasion, but you need different food.

How old? And how many do you have?

Anne

 

[leasmom]

I feed them chicken feed as well as a chicken scratch that they preferred which was oats, flaxseeds and wild bird seed but right now they are changing.

I have from a few days old to one adult and a few pullets of various ages in between. My Production Red is the only one I raised from 2 days old and she absolutely loves greens. The chickens I've had for a few weeks now are just now catching on to the greens and they don't like the oats too much and the babies are eating what they're adopted mama eats, which is greens and the feed. They still are provided the feed but I give them lots of variety. I throw the food into the run for the older ones and I sit and watch them and noticed that they all eat everything BUT the oats and feed. They just wanted the bird seed and I thought maybe its because its getting colder.

 

[AussieSharon]

If greens are in short supply or expensive in the Winter in your area try frozen peas. You can get the big generic brand bags at places like Walmart for very little. Makes a great healthy treat.