Cayenne pepper for warmth?

[tenderkat]

A neighbor friend of mine just suggested that I sprinkly cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes into my chickens feed over the winter. She said that it raises their body temperature and help keeps them warm. Amyone ever heard of this? If so, what is an appropriate amount to use?

 

[greathorse]

I dont beleive it. Not for a minute. Eat a scooop of cayenne break a good sweat and go outside and see how much it helps.

I have in fact heard ( I dont beleive it either) the opposite that eating Cayenne in the summer has a cooling effect. If hot food or spice heats one up why is it all the tropical countries use so much spice in thier food

ON the other hand I am sure it doesnt hurt either.

 

[mdbokc]

I know I take a cayenne pepper hot drink most mornings as it is excellent for the heart. But the hot drink is what gets it going for the internal heat rise that I feel as absorption is instant. I don't know about it just plain. But I do know that my girls really eat up when red pepper is in the mix.

 

[buglit]

I think that it is good for increasing metabolism which would increase warmth

 

[cybercat]

Old wives tale. It would not work the same on chickens as people. So no it will not work.

 

[verycherry]

It will definately keep the mice and rats out of the feed though, so it won't hurt. Chickens don't feel the heat like mammals do. My chickens got into my pepper patch last year and ate some, and they were so hot I couldn't even eat them.

 

[oberhaslikid]

Red peppers are high in Vitamin C .I give my chickens red peppers not to heat their body but for the C.
Chickens do not have the receptors to detect it is hot.Thats why it doesnt bother them to eat hot peppers.

 

[lngrid]

I've read here at BYC that the tried-and-true method for heating birds through feed is to use cracked corn. It's so effective in raising body temperatures that it can be fatal for birds living in hot weather.

Cayenne may raise the temperature of humans but it's also related to weight-loss, which I wouldn't think you'd want for chickens living in the cold, and it may have a different effect on their systems anyway.

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
I thought this bit of nonsence had finally died but apparently not. Chickens, like humans, have metabolic sysyems that regulate body temperature. Corn is a source of readily available carbs which make it easier for the body to maintain normal temps but it does not "raise the body temperature" & it certainly isn't fatal regardless of the weather. This is the biggest problem with the internet, anyone can post anything. Because something is posted doesn't make it true. I've read on the internet that we never actually went to the moon & that JFK is still alive.

 

[Mystical mutt]

hello so I have a 1 lb bantam hen that is sleeping alone in a very well insulated dog crate, it has about 11 inches of insulation / straw on top of it and about 13 inches of insulation/wood shavings underneath it, along with straw built up around the walls but with about an inch in between the straw and the ventilation gaps on the crate to ensure that the crate vents out moisture and such, I drape a hand towel over the front door of the crate as well but leave about an inch inch and a half of space open at the bottom where the towel is not covering it or air flow as well. she is having a crop issue at the moment so I cannot give her treat seed like I usually would to keep her warm and so I'm curious if anybody has any suggestions of soft easy digestible foods that I can give her that will also help keep her warmer tonight, it is supposed to get down to about 24 to 25° and she like I said is very small about a pound in weight. I just took her off of antibiotics a few days ago for a bacterial respiratory infection as well hence the crop issue so I'm a little concerned about these colder temps causing that to potentially maybe arise again? I read that cayenne pepper can help keep them warm at night, and curious if this is true? I was thinking about making her some hard boiled egg mash mixed with oats and cayenne pepper warmed up before bed tonight to help keep her warmer but I'm unsure of what else to do? I just got her another hen friend but they cannot sleep together quite yet due to them still establishing the pecking order otherwise I'd just let them huddle together for warmth and wouldn't be worried about it. any help is very much appreciated, thank you!