California - Northern

[ronott1]

I was given some large buckets of wheat. It was someones food storage wheat. Is it ok to feed to my chickens? Do I just feed it like scratch. I.e. Don't give them to much. My mcmurray hatchery chicks are all laying now. I my old gals are laying about every other day. We are getting about 7 eggs a day. I am really pleased with my ornamental layers except that they like to fly. But if I had wings I would be trying to fly also. Their eggs are really nice. Thick shell and beautiful colors.
Not sure I need more layers. I prob should cull my old layers but I don't have the heart.

Yes, you can give it to them like scratch or you can mix it in with crumbles.

I used to get Chicken Wheat from Azure Standard and alternate with layer feed. The Chicken Wheat is too expensive now though.

Winter wheat is wheat that is too low of quality to use for flour but is good for animal feed.

 

[caychris]

Yes, you can give it to them like scratch or you can mix it in with crumbles.

I used to get Chicken Wheat from Azure Standard and alternate with layer feed. The Chicken Wheat is too expensive now though.

Winter wheat is wheat that is too low of quality to use for flour but is good for animal feed.

I was given some and am planning on making a sprouted fodder for them from it. Ill let you know how it goes.

 

[ronott1]

I was given some and am planning on making a sprouted fodder for them from it. Ill let you know how it goes.

Sounds good!

 

[PetRock]

I was given some large buckets of wheat. It was someones food storage wheat. Is it ok to feed to my chickens? Do I just feed it like scratch. I.e. Don't give them to much. My mcmurray hatchery chicks are all laying now. I my old gals are laying about every other day. We are getting about 7 eggs a day. I am really pleased with my ornamental layers except that they like to fly. But if I had wings I would be trying to fly also. Their eggs are really nice. Thick shell and beautiful colors.
Not sure I need more layers. I prob should cull my old layers but I don't have the heart.

I sprout whole grain wheat, barley, oats, and a seed mix with sunflower seeds, millet, etc. I soak them overnight in a large Ball jar then rinse & drain them twice daily for 2 1/2 days. Then I scatter the sprouted seed all over my chooks foraging area. They LOVE them and foraging for them keeps them busy!

 

[HighStreetCoop]

I was given some large buckets of wheat. It was someones food storage wheat. Is it ok to feed to my chickens? Do I just feed it like scratch. I.e. Don't give them to much. My mcmurray hatchery chicks are all laying now. I my old gals are laying about every other day. We are getting about 7 eggs a day. I am really pleased with my ornamental layers except that they like to fly. But if I had wings I would be trying to fly also. Their eggs are really nice. Thick shell and beautiful colors.

Not sure I need more layers. I prob should cull my old layers but I don't have the heart.

I sprout whole grain wheat, barley, oats, and a seed mix with sunflower seeds, millet, etc.  I soak them overnight in a large Ball jar then rinse & drain them twice daily for 2 1/2 days.  Then I scatter the sprouted seed all over my chooks foraging area.  They LOVE them and foraging for them keeps them busy!

I do this too. Birds love it.

Also, my littles started laying today! All three of them.

 

[shahtir101]

I have some duccles for sale. I'm about 30 minutes past Sacramento. Unfortunately they are only roosters. Pm me for details

 

[Sylvester017]

I was given some large buckets of wheat. It was someones food storage wheat. Is it ok to feed to my chickens? Do I just feed it like scratch. I.e. Don't give them to much. My mcmurray hatchery chicks are all laying now. I my old gals are laying about every other day. We are getting about 7 eggs a day. I am really pleased with my ornamental layers except that they like to fly. But if I had wings I would be trying to fly also. Their eggs are really nice. Thick shell and beautiful colors.
Not sure I need more layers. I prob should cull my old layers but I don't have the heart.

If you have a LOT of wheat then may I suggest you refrigerate most of it. We didn't keep our whole wheat kernels in refrigeration and before the chickens could finish the large bag (stored in plastic containers) the bugs hatched in the wheat naturally and ate out the nutritious centers of the remaining wheat kernels and left just shells. The chickens didn't want to eat the bugs that were in the empty shells either!! I refrigerate all our feed now. We keep our old refrigerator (in the garage) just to store the chicken feed and scratch grains from hatching any critters. We were just going to get a little bar refrigerator but when the opportunity came to buy a new refrigerator we transferred the old one into the garage. Why recycle away an operating fridge.

 

[h2oratt]

Thank you for the tip. I will see what we can do about refrigeration.

 

[PetRock]

If you have a LOT of wheat then may I suggest you refrigerate most of it. We didn't keep our whole wheat kernels in refrigeration and before the chickens could finish the large bag (stored in plastic containers) the bugs hatched in the wheat naturally and ate out the nutritious centers of the remaining wheat kernels and left just shells. The chickens didn't want to eat the bugs that were in the empty shells either!! I refrigerate all our feed now. We keep our old refrigerator (in the garage) just to store the chicken feed and scratch grains from hatching any critters. We were just going to get a little bar refrigerator but when the opportunity came to buy a new refrigerator we transferred the old one into the garage. Why recycle away an operating fridge.

If you have a big freezer with extra room, I have found that it works to freeze the grain for 2-3 weeks before using. I had problems with my barley and weevils. I brought a bag home and within 4 day it had weevils! Since I started putting the bags of grain in the freezer for a few weeks, I have not had a single problem with bugs. My freezer is currently full of processed cockerels and I need more grain. Guess what my adult kids are getting for Christmas?!

 

[ronott1]

If you have a big freezer with extra room, I have found that it works to freeze the grain for 2-3 weeks before using. I had problems with my barley and weevils. I brought a bag home and within 4 day it had weevils! Since I started putting the bags of grain in the freezer for a few weeks, I have not had a single problem with bugs. My freezer is currently full of processed cockerels and I need more grain. Guess what my adult kids are getting for Christmas?!

I put a bug zapper in the garage last summer and have pantry traps in the house--I have not seen a moth in a couple of months now.