corn

[erkose]

Hi by way of explanation-I live in Australia we are in the worst drought since 1902

my wife cooks rice for our old mixed flock (2 young gun laying hens)-they free range big time
rice is becoming expensive even by the 44 lb(22kg) bag
anybody ever cooked cracked corn for ducks-hens- geese- guinea fowl-karki Campbell and muskovi ducks( please forgive my spelling not sure I ever could spell)
any thoughts???

 

[centrarchid]

Corn / maize is a suitable feed item that does not require cooking for chickens. Grit can be an issue, but seldom for free-range birds that can consume that as they find it on the ground.

Even hays can serve as a feed for chickens but if it becomes a major food source expect to see a drop in egg production and growth of young birds.

You can go at this also in from the angle of reducing maintenance cost of birds and possibly enhancing forage base. Compost heaps and nightlights may be able to attract insect forages. Do you have Black Soldier Flies in you area, if yet then you could potentially use offal from plant and animal sources, potentially even road kill to support production of that.

 

[erkose]

O good thoughts and I thank you-
my wife likes to spoil all our animals-I am ok with that

the position is she cooks brown rice (brown is better for you????) and our chickens (we call them chooks) and ducks and geese eat it-


I wondered if cracked corn was suitable for her purpose I can buy 30kilo(66lb) bags of it for about A$20-ie cook it
that's a lot of feed when all free range-I think the answer is yes -I don't know what that fly is -not a lot of insects about-every blade of grass is brown- geese eat grass--- I guess 2 full grown geese eat as much as a sheep ducks mostly eat slugs snails -none of them no spare water _ I have seen chickens eat live field mice -among other things----we have 8 full grown geese goodness knows why- we are on a small acreage wild dogs and foxes take birds sometimes-when they nest out of a special pen-my m8 calls them chook penthouses-and I cant find them- we are on a few acres and they use neighbours as well- am sorry if I waffle-it is well it is
I mite try the light I have fully rechargeable lights that makes sense -road kill is plentiful wild life is going -drought we are not as bad as many -I am sorry if I waffle thank you I have ideas
thank you

 

[erkose]

o just so you know hay is a minimum $25 a small bale-a man I know shipped some 400 miles from Tasmania-it was stolen from his shed-a idea now been told is grow it in good times -dig a hole flatten drive on it into the hole cover the hole with dirt-heavily flatten it -it will last decades I am told-when we get rain I will start that o that's 4000 miles-thank you I must try and sleep thank you thank you

 

[Hyper_Chicken05]

Corn in general is pretty much empty calories (Especially dried), A corn based diet won’t get you the most healthiest or most productive hens.

 

[erkose]

O -my concern -thank you as I had feared- but the night light for insects-an idea- thank you so much

 

[erkose]

poultry sleeps when they want where they wan-thank you thank --thank you

 

[MROO]

Have you thought about raising mealworms aka darkling beetles? It takes a few weeks to get production going, and you'll have to minimize feeding at first so you can start your breeding base, bit of time to get started, but once you're started, they are a clean, fast, self-renewing, low-maintenance protein ... and your birds will LOVE them. Around here, east coast US, raising mealworms is the ultimate in poultry spoiling!

 

[centrarchid]

There are times when reducing flock size becomes prudent. I do it every fall at least and last year had to reduce flock by 2/3's to control feed cost during hard financial times. Birds retained had best prospects for being productive when bad times passed. During the worst of times production was sacrificed to keep stock in maintenance mode healthy.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Just feed them sparingly and let them forage for the majority of what they need..... you don't hardly see any chicken starving if they are allowed to free-range, they've been doing it for millions of years without human having to feed them.