Cracked Corn

[devora]

Quote:
This helps clear up an issue for me. Folks wil say things like, "Corn is just junk food" and I keep saying, "But commercial feed is mostly corn." Then I sit around looking confused.

But if those teeny tiny traces of vitamins are necessary and ya can't let the babies free range, I guess they could do poorly on only grain.

Ours free range from dawn to dusk and, right now at least, only eat about a cup or so of feed a day (5 laying birds). Of course it's out for them 24/7, but they prefer bugs I guess!

If I were to give them corn free choice I think they would sit on the porch eating and get way fat. "Go look for a bug? Are you kidding, there's a big pile of corn here!"

 

[KKluckers]

I give my girls there layer and cracked corn to help keep them warm. I give them a couple hand fulls each day in cold weather. Dont just feed crack corn. The vitamins are in their layer. Good luck

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Their regular food has more than just corn, vitamins and minerals, it also has protein and it is a complete protein, that can be used to rebuild the body.

 

[rosyposyosy]

okey dokes! thank you! I'll probably get a bag today.

 

[aran]

im mixing 2 parts layer ration to 1 part scratch and just throwing the cracked corn out onto the ground for them to peck away at. We also give them cold porridge and table scraps, veges etc...they seem to be doing ok with it..am still getting 6-9eggs/day out of my 17 girls.

 

[georgeroo]

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accualy my mom seid barly or oats are good they have a lot of protine and nutrishenal vallue for chiks and older chikens

 

[georgeroo]

just a few moments ago my mom seid barly and oats are good they have protine and newtrisheal value just trying to help...

 

[ChickenBreath]

We're in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and it gets cold here, for sure. This is our first winter with chickens, so it's trial and error so far. We give them some cracked corn about an hour before they roost up for the night. Sending them to bed with a full crop of high energy food sounded like a good idea to us. The coop has a heat lamp to keep it just above freezing, but we haven't had to use it yet. Even when it's in the 20's the coop stays above freezing with just the body warmth of the chickens.

 

[georgeroo]

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my chicken food has cracked corn in it and some protine. but i dont think it looks like craked corn it is baish looking. ohya i also crushup egg shells for them to eat as a treat for calceum

 

[CarlaRiggs]

Georgeroo,

You're so right.... the egg shells are a good source of calcium for the hens.

Another treat is to put soil into half an egg shell that has a little hole in the end of it. You can do this with a thick needle. Plant some seed in the soil (rye grass, wheat, alfalfa, etc.).
Water it well, without washing away the seeds. Keep the eggs/soil damp in a sunny window and soon the seeds will sprout.
When the 'grass' is several inches high, you can give them to your birds. They'll love the fresh grass in wintertime.