Best thing to feed them to generate their body heat

[pdirt]

Simply adding corn to a chicken's ration will reduce protein intake, hurt egg production, lead to fat birds.

Thank you, interesting. So, in your opinion, should corn not be an ingredient in any chicken feed at any time? What I'm curious about here, is there any benefit to corn for a chicken? I mean, if all you want is the highest possible output from a chicken (eggs and/or meat), with less regard to the chicken's health, then avoiding corn would be wise? Even with the lowered protein intake and egg production, might there be some benefit to the chicken? I'm not trying to defend corn as an ingredient, but if I'm reading you correctly, corn isn't such a good food (in any amount) to be feeding chickens. I realize this is how false information could get started and we both don't want THAT to happen

and just want to make sure I'm hearing you correctly.

 

[jtbass2756]

Maybe changing the subject....I am looking for some constructive help....not to be put down either...I'm not stupid.... I hope that using the word "newbie" clarifies me as someone who doesn't claim to know it all and am looking for guidance. I'm a newbie this year so I need some cold weather advice. My 4 ladies are doing fantastic...its me.! I don't have running water at my coop. I do however, have electricity. I use a hose laying on the ground to clean out the waterer. Today, my hubby closed the blinds at the backdoor where I always sit to keep ck on the ladies. When I realized it..it was dark and I hadn't taken care of them. I slid on my boots and went out to find that the hose had a frozen somewhere. I have raynauds disease which effects the hands/feet. The toes/fingers circulation shut down quickly/painfully when exposed to cold. I don't have waterproof gloves. Had to barehand the hose several times to break loose the frozen spot and then scrub/fill the waterer. I was crying by the time I got back in! My fault totally...should have checked on them and taken care of water earlier! That said...my hubby is not a handyman and I will have to do updates myself...any suggestions.?????? After tonight, I'm worried about the winter ahead! LOL I have my ladies covered in every other way. They are healthy,safe from predators, well ventilated coop but not airtight, sand run, they are laying 3-4 eggs/daily........

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Maybe changing the subject....I am looking for some constructive help....not to be put down either...I'm not stupid.... I hope that using the word "newbie" clarifies me as someone who doesn't claim to know it all and am looking for guidance. I'm a newbie this year so I need some cold weather advice. My 4 ladies are doing fantastic...its me.! I don't have running water at my coop. I do however, have electricity. I use a hose laying on the ground to clean out the waterer. Today, my hubby closed the blinds at the backdoor where I always sit to keep ck on the ladies. When I realized it..it was dark and I hadn't taken care of them. I slid on my boots and went out to find that the hose had a frozen somewhere. I have raynauds disease which effects the hands/feet. The toes/fingers circulation shut down quickly/painfully when exposed to cold. I don't have waterproof gloves. Had to barehand the hose several times to break loose the frozen spot and then scrub/fill the waterer. I was crying by the time I got back in! My fault totally...should have checked on them and taken care of water earlier! That said...my hubby is not a handyman and I will have to do updates myself...any suggestions.?????? After tonight, I'm worried about the winter ahead! LOL I have my ladies covered in every other way. They are healthy,safe from predators, well ventilated coop but not airtight, sand run, they are laying 3-4 eggs/daily........

What you might consider doing is purchasing a heated dog dish or heated base for the galvanized waterers (they also sell plastic heated waterers). Then carry your water out to them in gallon jugs to pour on/scrub and refill. If you have a lot of waterers to deal with I know they sell heated hoses but I don't know how good they are. I have read that some people keep their hose inside the garage or something but if the hose bib is frozen then it won't work.

I carry my water out during freezing weather in gallon apple juice jugs (when my hose is frozen). I use the black rubber fortex tubs that you can turn upside down and step on for the ice to slide out.

Now I need to read the thread...just clicked on this since I saw your post in the lineup.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Winter's here {second night in a row below zero with howling winds} and I'm curious what is the best food and/or treats to give my flock on frigid days or right before they go to roost to help heat them up internally {I do not heat my coop}? I do provide them with warm water in their food, to drink etc.

I give my flock whole corn as a treat when it is very cold. They relish it.

 

[pdirt]

Maybe changing the subject....I am looking for some constructive help....not to be put down either...I'm not stupid.... I hope that using the word "newbie" clarifies me as someone who doesn't claim to know it all and am looking for guidance. I'm a newbie this year so I need some cold weather advice. My 4 ladies are doing fantastic...its me.! I don't have running water at my coop. I do however, have electricity. I use a hose laying on the ground to clean out the waterer. Today, my hubby closed the blinds at the backdoor where I always sit to keep ck on the ladies. When I realized it..it was dark and I hadn't taken care of them. I slid on my boots and went out to find that the hose had a frozen somewhere. I have raynauds disease which effects the hands/feet. The toes/fingers circulation shut down quickly/painfully when exposed to cold. I don't have waterproof gloves. Had to barehand the hose several times to break loose the frozen spot and then scrub/fill the waterer. I was crying by the time I got back in! My fault totally...should have checked on them and taken care of water earlier! That said...my hubby is not a handyman and I will have to do updates myself...any suggestions.?????? After tonight, I'm worried about the winter ahead! LOL I have my ladies covered in every other way. They are healthy,safe from predators, well ventilated coop but not airtight, sand run, they are laying 3-4 eggs/daily........

Not sure what kind of cold and waterer you've got there? Some folks just bring their waterer in the house for the night since the birds will be sleeping and not drinking. We've got a 3 gal bucket with the watering nipples with a 250w stock tank deicer and its keeping the water nipples free flowing. Only have to fill the bucket about every 10 days and because it hangs with a lid, water stays very clean. It gets down to 12F lately and will probably dip below zero later this winter. I refill by hauling fresh water out in another bucket. Get free buckets at the bakery or deli dept at your local grocery store!

 

[Trefoil]

For just the four chickens, if I read you right, the easiest would be to buy a 3 gallon heated waterier, put it in as sheltered place in your run as you can and set it up on a block of wood or bricks so they don't foul it. I like to add a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar per gallon. I say put it in the run so you don't add moisture to your coop and also no chance of fire. You have my sympathy over your hands, that Hurts. I've been looking for heated, waterproof gloves, but no luck so far. TSC has waterproof gloves for $12.99 (when they aren't on sale) carrhart. I will give feed heavy on corn to mine just before they retire for the night when its really cold. I want them to go to bed on a full stomach and I get so many more eggs than I can eat that I don't care whether it hurts their production, although I haven't really noticed it doing so. A balanced diet is important,not when you feed what. Chickens don't need a heated coop if fed properly and if you ever lose electricity, having heated your coop is VERY hard on the chickens. I have a heated hose and it works, but its really stiff and heavy, and it uses electricity, a necessity for me because I have ducks & geese as well, so use a lot of water. For four chickens I don't think a hose would be worth it. But that's just my (cheapo) opinion. I believe laying eggs is more affected by light than cold, to me, if they stop laying in the winter, they needed the break.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

A good quality shelled corn when fed as a treat after a short soak in hot water and once drained with a little cooking oil added will go miles toward helping chickens maintain their normal body heat. What the neighsayers fail to mention is that the object is not to cook your chickens from the inside out but rather to provide them with a ration that works in a natural way with their bodies.

The soaked (not fermented) feed is intended to be easily digested and help with watering your chickens during freezing weather because the first place that a chicken stores food is in its crop. The crop is where the food is first hydrated and worked on by digestive juices before being handed off to the gizzard.

Horse or sweet feed is also an excellent source for quick and easily digested food energy. Before any of you get your Fruit of the Looms in a knot, remember that despite what some self proclaimed political food or male enhancement guru shouts from the roof top, there is no scientific basis either real or imagined that proves any of the things these TV gurus scream from your living room entertainment center is true.

 

[mamabigbird]

Maybe changing the subject....I am looking for some constructive help....not to be put down either...I'm not stupid.... I hope that using the word "newbie" clarifies me as someone who doesn't claim to know it all and am looking for guidance. I'm a newbie this year so I need some cold weather advice. My 4 ladies are doing fantastic...its me.! I don't have running water at my coop. I do however, have electricity. I use a hose laying on the ground to clean out the waterer. Today, my hubby closed the blinds at the backdoor where I always sit to keep ck on the ladies. When I realized it..it was dark and I hadn't taken care of them. I slid on my boots and went out to find that the hose had a frozen somewhere. I have raynauds disease which effects the hands/feet. The toes/fingers circulation shut down quickly/painfully when exposed to cold. I don't have waterproof gloves. Had to barehand the hose several times to break loose the frozen spot and then scrub/fill the waterer. I was crying by the time I got back in! My fault totally...should have checked on them and taken care of water earlier! That said...my hubby is not a handyman and I will have to do updates myself...any suggestions.?????? After tonight, I'm worried about the winter ahead! LOL I have my ladies covered in every other way. They are healthy,safe from predators, well ventilated coop but not airtight, sand run, they are laying 3-4 eggs/daily........

I have the flexible rubber water tub out in the pen. They're great because you can dump frozen water out and the tub doesn't break.
Inside the coop I have a recycled gallon ice cream bucket. I take a fresh ice cream bucket of water out when I lock them up at night and also in the morning again if it has frozen overnight.
That way I'm not dealing with frozen hoses and ice cold water.