Corn

[polychickens]

The fields are being harvested around me and my kids have collected many free ears of 'left behind' corn.

Is whole field corn ok to feed the chickens? I remove it from the cob, and they go crazy for it much like scratch.

I am also wondering about making corn the sole ration for older laying hens...with the usual added persimmons, grass, leftovers from a family of 9, free choice oyster shell and egg shells, grubs, and all manner of bugs they find as the free range for a couple of hours every evening.

OR...being from the heartland, there is corn, soy beans, and wheat everywhere. I could get it VERY inexpensively right now and I'm always looking for ways to trim the costs. Retail feed is by far the biggest expense right now. What say the experts?

Polychickens

 

[devora]

I'm certainly no expert, but the two main ingredients in commercial chicken feed are corn and soy.

 

[SimplcitiyAltered]

i would make sure that the corn you are usung has not been sprayed otherwise have at it around here come harvest time I know where to find all my birds they get excited when they see the combines coming through the feilds they wait patiently by the edge of the feild for the combine to go by then they are out there getting anything they missed then when it comes back around they scurry off to the side till it passes it quite a sight to see all 175 (the number changes all the time) birds lined up waiting. The ducks are the bravest they will stand down a combine if they find a good spot the local farmer knows to watch for them havent lost one yet they ususally harvest the feilds around our place last because it usually takes the longest. Our property is next to a set of bins come spring when they empty them they go a begging like they are starving to death (oh the poor things lol) and of course they get scoops of whatever is in there.


And if you can get it cheap enough I would my birds love soybeans and wheat and oats and whatever else they can get.