Chicken Treats -feeding oatmeal to chickens

[ChocolateMouse]

Oats don't even have any gluten. So that'd be pretty wild.
https://www.cureceliacdisease.org/faq/do-oats-contain-gluten/

Having said that, if you feed JUST oatmeal it's probably a problem. As it is, a little warm oats in the morning won't hurt anything.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I use plain old oatmeal use like 6 cups of oatmeal add water almost twice as much cook it get me a bowl make beef, ham or chicken stock cold to add wait 2 hours give to birds

 

[centrarchid]

My base scratch mix is about 1/3 oats. When it get cold I start using soaked oats (also whole) that can represent up to about 1/4 of what the birds eat during periods of extreme cold. Care is taken to ensure they are still consuming the same amount of nutritionally complete feed as they consume the additional soaked oats.

 

[Pigpye]

I always make it runny and they do love it! Never had problems with anyone getting sick

 

[Fairview01]

If you think they are cold, just feed whole oats. The energy required to digest whole oats will generate more body heat for a longer period of time than any other grain due to the high level of fiber.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I fell for the hot oatmeal thing last winter. Although my chickens loved it, it finally dawned on me that they get better nutrition from their regular food. There's a tendency to think our chickens need treats like we humans do. Chickens get excited by just about everything and they will jump on a bit of white tissue as quickly as a mealworm, but I'm guessing that mealworm has a bit more nutrition than the paper. I'm sorry if this upsets anyone. You care for your chickens the way that you want to. I have to admit that I carry a small bag of breadcrumbs in my pocket to use as a bribe to coax reluctant hens back into the run. But we're sticking to a more nutritionally sound chicken-centric diet this winter.

 

[chickens really]

Friend of mine fed warm oatmeal to her Birds during-25C weather and it froze solid in their crops. In the morning she had a couple of dead chickens and had to bring in the rest to thaw out their crops. Definitely not needed. Balanced feed is all they need and a safe dry house to live in.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I haven't seen it posted here, but has anyone considered just making cornbread pancakes for them? It's quick, easy, and enables you to feed back eggs in a way that renders them totally unrecognizable. Sometimes adding a handful of oatmeal to the batter (I need to sometimes REDUCE the protein in their diet because game bird feed (21% Protein) is cheaper for the same weight of all flock or layer feed (7 or 8% Protein). What about making birdy egg foo young, kind of like an oriental omelet of eggs and shredded veggies (This treat weighs in at about 10-13% protein depending on how many table scraps you put into the mix). I figure that since the game bird feed is so high in protein, that it's the perfect excuse to treat my flock to these alternative yummies to lower their protein (oatmeal is down in the 5 or 6% protein range). I enjoy it. My flock enjoys it. Win-Win.

I love living in Panama. I miss having the same options when I go to buy groceries for myself and for my feathered family as I had when I was Stateside. Culture differences has forced me to think 'outside of the box' on many issues; feeding my birds is only one example.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Here in Rhode Island, cornmeal pancakes are called “Johnny Cakes” and are an old-timey favorite from back to the pre-colonial era. Great...now I’m hungry!

I like the idea of mixing cornmeal and excess eggs for feeding back to the flock. I just had 50 or so pounds of ground corn show up, so may try it.

 

[Relleoms]

I add warm water to their regular feed until it’s an oatmeal like consistency and they go nuts for it. Plus you’re not diluting their diet with treats. It seems like a win-win for me!