cracked corn?

[badgerfan20]

HI I have 150 cornish rock boilers and i was wondering if i could only feed them whole corn cournels or cracked corn because i have an unlimited supply of free corn

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

I am pretty sure that cracked corn raises a chickens body heat, therefore you don't want to feed it to them in summer because it is hot. Only feed it in fall-winter.

 

[CatDaddyAlbert]

At this time of year it is NOT a good idea. At other times it does not make for a good diet. On occasion, yes. As a diet, my opinion is no. Again, it raises their body temperature and that is the last thing you need at this time of year.

During the fall and winter months I give my birds cracked corn about two hours before they go in to their coop. Helps keep them warm at night.

 

[NYREDS]

Corn alone is not an adequate diet for any birds but this is especially true for the broilers you are raising. They need a complete, balanced diet such as that provided by a grower ration.
That said, corn absolutely does NOT raise a chicken's body temperature. That issue has been discussed extensively here but it continues to pop up from time to time. For all this site's positive points it remains an excellent source for bad information.

 

[mywifewasonherenowiamalso]

i would supplement their diet with it

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Oh for the love of God!!!!

Corn does NOT raise the body temp of a chicken or any other animal beyond that of normal heat of metabolism.

Jim

 

[HEChicken]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

Corn does NOT raise the body temp of a chicken or any other animal beyond that of normal heat of metabolism.

x2. Also, keep in mind that corn loses its nutritional value quite quickly after being cracked. If you are going to feed corn at all, whole corn offers them far more than cracked corn. However as others have said, you cannot sustain them properly on a single food. At least they need a variety of foods so that they have a better chance of getting a variety of the nutrients they need. For optimal performance (whether egg production or rapid growth for meat), you would want to feed a nutritionally balanced food. If you cut out nutrients by feeding an unbalanced diet, you lower egg production in laying hens, or slow growth in chicks/meat birds at best, and potentially cause them to develop a variety of physical ailments that result from nutritional deficiencies.​

 

[chicmom]

Hello!

Cracked corn is a delicious snack for chickens, but it doesn't contain the complete nutrition that a laying hen, or a meat chicken needs. It's like candy to a baby. They LOVE it, but it's really just a treat.

My hens free range, so every evening, around 7:30 or so, I go and rake their run, smooth out the sand and throw a few handfuls out for them. THEY COME RUNNING! They have these little internal clocks and they know when it's corn time!

That's their bedtime snack, and I use it sparingly.

In the winter, cracked corn and scratch grains are great for raising body heat, so it's their bedtime snack. But it's very poor in nutrition. (Just like this piece of chocolate cake I'm eating now....and I love it!)

Hope this helps!

Sharon

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
What nutrients does corn lose when it is cracked?

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO