Expanding feed

[Mac Aodha]

I have a question for all you chicken lovers out there. With feed prices skyrocketing, I have taken to utilizing my fireplace to boil water and add layer feed into it. It expands like rice to nearly 4 times the amount of what it normally is. I'm wondering if that boils out the nutrients they should be getting, or is this ok? Is it better to leave it in the pot for a few days to ferment and expand? Fermentation is always more preferable but am I shooting myself in the foot so to speak.

 

[drangle]

Expanding your feed x4 or however much water it takes in does not stretch your feed. They are still getting the amount of calories and nutrition. Probably less as some is going to be lost in water that gets spilled or not absorbed. Plus whatever is lost from heat degradation. That may or may not be an issue. I don’t know.

I understand it’s not fun to buy feed but cutting it with water isn’t the answer. Lowering stock numbers, selling eggs to offset feed cost, or cutting the feed with wheat or milo and their own eggs would all be better options in my opinion.

Imagine if you were on a diet of a pound of bread a day; someone decides bread is too expensive so they decides to give you a half pound of bread soaked in hot water until it weighs 1.5 pounds. You might be more full while you eat the water logged bread but you will be more hungry as the day and especially weeks go on.

 

[3KillerBs]

Expanding your feed x4 or however much water it takes in does not stretch your feed. They are still getting the amount of calories and nutrition. ...

Imagine if you were on a diet of a pound of bread a day; someone decides bread is too expensive so they decides to give you a half pound of bread soaked in hot water until it weighs 1.5 pounds.

NAILED IT!

Chickens feed requirements are by weight, not by volume. A 1/4 pound dry weight of feed remains a 1/4 lb dry weight even if you add water to it.

People serve feed moist or fermented for various reasons, but the savings in feed they claim are almost exclusively due to reduced waste from spillage.

 

[Mac Aodha]

Thanks for the input. I should have mentioned I give them the entire contents of the soaking. Instead of them eating all in just a few minutes, it usually will last the entire day. There is even left over feed in their bowl to start them off on the next day. Also neglected to mention they are free ranged. In my opinion, boiling the cracked corn in their feed, makes it easier to digest. Would you eat dry corn or do you boil it first? I've seen numerous farmers soak their feed for a few days and they have healthy productive chickens. I was just curious if there were any actual knowledgeable and experienced keepers that could impart wisdom instead of regurgitating emotional responses. Thank you anyway.

 

[nuthatched]

It increases the mass but nothing else so they actually get less food than they need, it's a poor idea. So is adding fillers like corn. Try no-waste feeders, getting breeds with better feed-egg conversion, decreasing your flock size or a fodder system.

I was just curious if there were any actual knowledgeable and experienced keepers that could impart wisdom instead of regurgitating emotional responses.

You did receive wisdom from knowledgeable and experienced keepers. Whether you like the delivery or not, what was said was fact. Passive-aggressive remarks were not necessary and are not appreciated.