Does Scratch and cracked corn reduce Egg Laying?

[PotterWatch]

The thing about scratch heating them up is on the BYC treats page:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[halo]

That is absolutely not true. If it were mine would be spontaneously combusting into flames. Corn is a very high energy feed. This is an exerpt from the book Equine Clinical Nutrition.

Corn, like other grains without hulls, is low in fiber and higher in both energy content and density than oats. It proves twice as much energy as an equal volume of oats (Table 4-5). Because of this, some feel corn has a tendency to cause obesity or to make a horse high spirited. If equal volumes of corn and regular oats are fed, this is true, since the horse is receiving twice as much energy from the corn. However, if equal amounts of energy, not equal volumes of grain, are fed, corn does not have any greater tendency to cause obesity or to make a hose too high spirited than other cereal grains. How spirited a horse acts is directly related to how good it feels and how much energy it has consumed compared to its needs.

Contrary to another popular belief, corn is not a "heatening feed." It is sometimes fed during the winter and not during the summer because of this mistaken belief. Corn is a "hot feed" when hot implies high energy, but not when it implies high heat production. The heat produced in the utilization of corn is one-third less than that produced in the utilization of oats. Only 41% of the gross energy in corn is given off as heat, as compared with 66% of the gross energy in oats. This is because corn is lower in fiber, and the greatest amount of heat produced in feed utilization is from microbial fermentation of fiber; therefore, the lower a feed's fiber content, the less heat produced in its utilization. However, because corn has a high energy density and because energy needs are increased during cold weather, it is a good winter feed.

Heat in grains implies "ENERGY", not hot heat.

 

[ams3651]

the idea of corn upping their temperature is controversial. I've been giving it for months with no ill effects. There is a post on here somewhere with an article from the 1900's that mentions feeding corn and a good diet all winter will help them to continue laying. I cant find it right now. My cousin has had chickens for years and they always lay all winter.

 

[cqranch]

I would have to agree with Halo.. I know from raising horses, it's not the grain that provides "heat" bodywise.. it's the hay because of the digestion of fiber and roughage. I would imagine this runs true for all animals.

 

[the simple life]

Quote:
It won't keep them from laying, but you need to make sure you are only giving it to them as a treat not as their daily feed allotment.
Most of their food intake should be their layer feed, they need the calcium from it to form nice hard egg shells.
Throwing some down on the ground for them to scratch around for and keep them busy is fine, just don't make it their meal.