Corn for heat? Is it myth or no?

[Nenad]

There are alot of false or mixed responds on here that I tried to find is it really a myth or no. Some say that it will help them get warmer, other say it won't. Some say by digesting it, it gives them heat during colder days. Others say its low protein, high energy feed that doesn't make them warmer. Thanks to anyone who can clear up for me and others who are confused.

 

[Painted Calls]

@U_Stormcrow

 

[J n J Chickens]

There are alot of false or mixed responds on here that I tried to find is it really a myth or no. Some say that it will help them get warmer, other say it won't. Some say by digesting it, it gives them heat during colder days. Others say its low protein, high energy feed that doesn't make them warmer. Thanks to anyone who can clear up for me and others who are confused.

We have always heard it helps in the coldest days as well. Our first flock of gals just matured and here in Iowa it gets really cold (-40 wind chill last week). So we have been giving them some cracked corn every couple days. Only about 3 cups for 11 birds. We’d like to know as well. Thanks for the post!

 

[alwaystj9]

Corn fed chickens do not have an increase in body temperature when consuming corn. Corn is a ‘hot’ food item, yes, but only in reference to calories, not heat. There is no rise in body temperature when poultry consume it.

 

[saysfaa]

Corn fed chickens do not have an increase in body temperature when consuming corn. Corn is a ‘hot’ food item, yes, but only in reference to calories, not heat. There is no rise in body temperature when poultry consume it.

This.
And, yes, they use more calories when it is cold but typical commercial diets are high in energy anyway. It is better to let them eat a little more of their regular food and get more of all the other nutrients too.

The only downside to letting them eat more of their regular food is that we don't feel like we are doing something extra for them. The time and effort is better spent on making sure they have a good supply of clean, liquid water. Or, if one needs to do something about food - soak the regular food in warm water for a meal for them.

 

[007Sean]

Feeding scratch grains or corn either whole or cracked doesn't provide that much in calories. A high fat type diet provides more calories than scratch grains. Corn, scratch grains of all types are high in carbohydrates, which only has about 4 calories, versus a high fat diet, more energy, having about 9 calories.
In fact, a balanced and complete feed ration is better than feeding the scratch grains to keep the birds caloric intake higher, and thus, their ability to keep their metabolism working to produce the necessary energy to keep their body temperature up.
Scratch grains; ie, corn, is like candy to birds and ruminates and not much in the way of calories, not much energy.

A better choice, over scratch grains would be a suet mixed with seed type of feed, sunflower, safflower, etc....if you 'just have to feed them something'!...to make you feel better about them being in the cold.
And at any rate, it shouldn't be more than 10% of their regular diet, same as if it was a 'treat'.

 

[K0k0shka]

Total myth, along with many others that keep circulating and refuse to die. That's just not how the body works.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Understanding that I don't actually have winter, just a couple cold days each year, so I have no first hand experience, here's what the biochemistry says.

Corn is basically fat and easy carbs, it breaks down rapidly and provides plenty of calories. But the WAY the body breaks down doesn't generate any heat to speak of. It just provides calories/energy the body can use to generate heat through other processes.

Protein, otoh, is much more difficult for the body to turn into energy - and the effort the body puts into that generates more heat than is generated when the body converts a similar number of calories of corn into energy. Its less efficient a process, and that inefficiency is expressed as heat.

So, on a calorie : calorie basis, if you are concerned about your birds making heat in winter, you are better off offering 100 calories worth of protein than 100 calories worth of corn. That's the science.

Practically??? Even with US feed bags, you can't easily compare caloric values in your feed. The typical recommend is anywhere from 12 - 13.8 MJ/kg, but that number simply isn't present on most labels, and some specialty feeds can be significantly lower (10.5 "maintenance" for breeder Cx) or over 14.5 MJ/kg at the other end of the pendulum.

What would I do?

I would feed a nutritionally complete feed in the 20% protein range all the time, for reasons other than "winter", and not diminish their feed by the addition of low nutrition, high energy simple carbs like corn - which favors fat production (not a good thing, think about where a bird puts on fat!) and disfavors maintaining muscle mass, feather production, intestinal health, and all the rest.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Oh, and a caveat. Yes I've read these things. In studies. BUT!!!

These aren't studies of chickens with concerns about chicken health. They are studies of chickens as analogs for humans, with the intention of researching superior diet advice for HUMANS.

and we know about the reliability of human diet advice...

It makes sense from the standpoint of evoluitionary pressures, too. Grains/grasses which are low protein high starch/fat tend to be most productive in the summer. Little heat "waste", lots of easy energy. In winter and early spring, forage is more often scratching to uncover buried seeds awaiting the next growing season. More energy dense, higher protein, higher fat, lower simple starches. That, and the animal remains of those who didn't make it - chickens are omnivores after all.

In this case, the theory is sound, but whether it holds true in practice (and as I noted above, there are difficulties selecting feed to attempt a practical application) or not is something I can't honestly answer.

 

[Sono]

Ive read somewhere before about mixing stuff like your bacon/sausage grease with the feed to give in the winter for them to stay warmer, is this true?