Effects of feeding corn to chickens?

[Hollywood Chickens]

I only feed corn in the winter and in addition to free ranging all year and other homemade feed mixes.
Laura Ingalls Wilder fed her chickens pork fat and bits, skim milk, cow peas, millo, corn and free ranging, she was very well know for have the healthiest chickens in her area.
I want my chickens to be free of hormones and all of the other things that are put in the feed etc. so I follow her guide and so far my EEs lay an egg a day and are very healthy.

 

[NYREDS]

That is a huge problem for me, and quite honestly, it should be for everyone else

Please don't"should" on people!
Most old farm flocks free ranged & were supplimented with corn, as Chris said, because it was cheap & available. They did fine because they got a balanced diet from free ranging. Cooped or caged birds don't have that luxury so corn would be best used in moderation for them.​

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
Actually it's been years since they stopped adding hormones to chicken feed.

 

[shannonb1]

I sell Purina feed at our store and in all their research they have not shown corn to turn any show animals coats yellow. In fact the rep I talked to today said that was an old wives tale. I had a customer wanting show feed for some white bearded silkies without corn, because she heard that it turns them yellow......

In fact he also said that every show feed they make has corn in it.

I don't show birds, so I cannot say whether or not corn turns feathers yellow or not.

I feed some corn for added fat in the winter, but none in the summer.

 

[buglit]

After reading The Omniovores Deliemma, I have this aversion to all production corn excepting the heirloom corn that I grow myself. Not very praticle though

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
Ok, there are NOT hormones in commercial chicken feeds!!!!!!!!!

I understand a person's desire to use feeds they deem safe, but please don't spread lies and mistruths about the commercial feeds.

Jim

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
I have to disagree with your rep.
I have seen and read that yellow corn can and will on some white birds give them a creamy or brassy color.. In Harry M Lamon and Rom R Slocum's book "The Mating and Breeding of Poultry" the say right in there

For white fowls, never use yellow corn. If corn is used , purchase and feed White corn.

they also go on to say too

Avoid also any feed which are rich in fats and oils, such as sunflower seed, oil meal, cottonseed meal, peanut meal ect.

Chris​

 

[shannonb1]

Very possible, Chris. Like I said - I don't show chickens, so I have no first hand experience in this department at all.....just thought I'd pass on what the rep told me today. Thought it was kind of odd that I came upon this post after just talking to a rep about this very same thing

.

Maybe they use white corn in their show feeds?.?.?...

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Quote:
Please don't"should" on people!
Most old farm flocks free ranged & were supplimented with corn, as Chris said, because it was cheap & available. They did fine because they got a balanced diet from free ranging. Cooped or caged birds don't have that luxury so corn would be best used in moderation for them.

I am not referring to not feeding corn. I am talking about genetically modified, as per my post. I will feed good organic corn to my chickens.

 

[destiny_56085]

shannonb1..... I think your rep needs to get some real experience with raising birds then. I have dozens of pics from before and after on both our cochins and silkies. Our birds are kept in the barn out of direct sunlight so the only factor is the corn. I hatch roughly 400 silkies and close to 100 standard cochins per year. After starter mash, I put the young stock on the 18% Multiflock Showtail formula. Our ducks and geese do have access to a bulk feeder of corn.

Here is what the whites look like before corn.... These birds are all unbathed and in natural condition.

Here are what they look like after a few winter months with corn supplementation....

This is the same exact rooster before winter and after being on corn...