Extreme Heat

[pysankigirl]

the eggs roll down the rollers to get to where they need to go. usually when they are freshly laid.

 

[Betty Lindsay]

Great ideas, thanks everyone! I will get out there and try some of them. It's going to be 100 again here today

 

[gale65]

There is simply no danger of overfeeding chickens in the heat. The whole point of offering chickens feed with a higher protein content than their usual fare in the heat is that they WILL eat LESS OVERALL in the heat, therefore they NEED a high-protein ration to make up for what is lost in reduce feed volume intake.

I am very interested to know the names of those with "a background in poultry nutrition" who informed you that scratch can be "a very good feedstuff in a poultry diet" and would love to read some of their publications supporting that proposition. Please do share.


As for scratch, without substantiating your position with facts or references, your assertion that I am incorrect is baseless. Even the largest commercial producer of chicken feed, Purina, acknowledges that scratch is supplement, intended to encourage natural pecking and feeding instincts, and help reduce the incidence of birds pecking and harming each other. So, the truth is, it should be thought of as a treat for behavior management more than anything else. They go on to state that scratch is not a complete feed and that if too much is consumed, it will dilute the feed intake of complete feeds reducing the bird’s nutritional intake and overall performance. Scratch should never comprise more than 10% of their total diet and should not be fed during high heat conditions as previously stated for all the reasons cited, regardless of whether it contains high quaility grains or not. 


 

on the other hand, Purina thinks it's ok to fill dog and cat food with fillers like corn and soy and wheat.

 

[Chris09]

There is simply no danger of overfeeding chickens in the heat. The whole point of offering chickens feed with a higher protein content than their usual fare in the heat is that they WILL eat LESS OVERALL in the heat, therefore they NEED a high-protein ration to make up for what is lost in reduce feed volume intake.
I am very interested to know the names of those with "a background in poultry nutrition" who informed you that scratch can be "a very good feedstuff in a poultry diet" and would love to read some of their publications supporting that proposition. Please do share.

As for scratch, without substantiating your position with facts or references, your assertion that I am incorrect is baseless. Even the largest commercial producer of chicken feed, Purina, acknowledges that scratch is supplement, intended to encourage natural pecking and feeding instincts, and help reduce the incidence of birds pecking and harming each other. So, the truth is, it should be thought of as a treat for behavior management more than anything else. They go on to state that scratch is not a complete feed and that if too much is consumed, it will dilute the feed intake of complete feeds reducing the bird’s nutritional intake and overall performance. Scratch should never comprise more than 10% of their total diet and should not be fed during high heat conditions as previously stated for all the reasons cited, regardless of whether it contains high quaility grains or not.

Quote: Do you have a background in poultry nutrition?
If you would like you can PM Lazy J on here. He has phd in Poultry Nutrition and I have seen where posted more than one time that over feeding protein can/will over heat poultry.

As I said before Not All Scratch Is The Same. The grain mix I use is right around 15% protein but I have see grain mixes up to 20% protein and most of these mixes (scratch) make Purina scratch look like floor sweepings.

I have been Showing, Breeding and raising poultry for 20+ years I think I know a thing or two about the needs of my poultry.


Chris

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Do you have a background in poultry nutrition?
If you would like you can PM Lazy J on here. He has phd in Poultry Nutrition and I have seen where posted more than one time that over feeding protein can/will over heat poultry.
As I said before Not All Scratch Is The Same. The grain mix I use is right around 15% protein but I have see grain mixes up to 20% protein and most of these mixes (scratch) make Purina scratch look like floor sweepings.
I have been Showing, Breeding and raising poultry for 20+ years I think I know a thing or two about the needs of my poultry.
Chris

First, Chris, nobody suggested 'over-feeding' chickens protein at any time of the year. I have no idea why you twisted the information provided to argue a point that was never even made but I suspect it was for the purpose of arguing something.

As for your rude, rhetorial question, my background education, training and experience is in the law, and as a lawyer, I know a thing or two about careful research and reliable authority for propositions and I assure you that the telephone game on an online forum is never going to be considered reliable authority for any concept. Research, studies and proof are required for reliability of information.

I have done my homework on this subject, however, I certainly don't expect you to take my word for it, but I'm confident you don't have what it takes to challenge Gail Damerow a renowned and respected expert in the field of chicken-keeping, whose writings you may have come across in your 20+ years of raising poultry. She writes in "The Chicken Encyclopdia" that "Too much scratch in the diet radically reduces total protein intake. Scratch should be fed only sparingly, IF AT ALL." emphasis added

Ms. Damerow also writes: "Chickens eat to meet their energy needs, so they eat less in summer than in the winter, when they need extra energy to stay warm. If the summer ration contains the same amount of protein as the winter ration, hens will get less total protein in summer and won't lay as well. In warm climates, in addition to regular 16 percent lay ration, some farm stores offer a ration containing 18 or 20 percent protein for use when high temperatures cause hens to eat too little to sustain laying."

You have yet to provide a single citation for your specious assertion that "if fed correctly scratch can be a very good feedstuff in a poultry diet."

 

[Pinkbow1]

My flock-o-birds LOVE it when I spray down their pen when it's watering time. It also makes it easier for them to find grains when it's muddy because they don't blend in with the dirt as much.
It wakes them all up a little, but don't spray directly at them, you don't want to harm any.
It's also a great way to wake them up and cool them down. The dirt give off heat.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

the eggs roll down the rollers to get to where they need to go. usually when they are freshly laid.

Very interesting to know that interferes with pysanki eggs.

 

[Stephanie739]

We have had 100+ days for over a week, very hot. Feels like I am being cooked when I go outside, so of course I worry about my chickies.

I positioned my brooder in front of an open door to a furnace room which receives some of the AC from the window unit on the living side of the furnace room, so the babies are staying cool while in the brooder. When I put them in an enclosure inside the run for a little while today, I poured water all over the ground and added some extra branches with many leaves for added shade. I also add ice to their water bowls.

The big birds seem to be doing okay, though panting quite a lot. An area of their run, about 8x4, never seems to get any sun because of the trees and the position of the shed (coop) The large birds stay there all the time, but each time I check on them, the temp seems at least 15 degrees lower than everywhere else. I do have a kiddie pool in my run. It is essential to change the water everyday by early afternoon because it heats up very quickly. Some of the birds will stand in the cool water on occasion, not too much. My opington roo dunks his entire head in to drink and seems to really love the water running down his face and neck.

 

[Chris09]

First, Chris, nobody suggested 'over-feeding' chickens protein at any time of the year. I have no idea why you twisted the information provided to argue a point that was never even made but I suspect it was for the purpose of arguing something.

As for your rude, rhetorial question, my background education, training and experience is in the law, and as a lawyer, I know a thing or two about careful research and reliable authority for propositions and I assure you that the telephone game on an online forum is never going to be considered reliable authority for any concept. Research, studies and proof are required for reliability of information.

I have done my homework on this subject, however, I certainly don't expect you to take my word for it, but I'm confident you don't have what it takes to challenge Gail Damerow a renowned and respected expert in the field of chicken-keeping, whose writings you may have come across in your 20+ years of raising poultry. She writes in "The Chicken Encyclopdia" that "Too much scratch in the diet radically reduces total protein intake. Scratch should be fed only sparingly, IF AT ALL." emphasis added

Ms. Damerow also writes: "Chickens eat to meet their energy needs, so they eat less in summer than in the winter, when they need extra energy to stay warm. If the summer ration contains the same amount of protein as the winter ration, hens will get less total protein in summer and won't lay as well. In warm climates, in addition to regular 16 percent lay ration, some farm stores offer a ration containing 18 or 20 percent protein for use when high temperatures cause hens to eat too little to sustain laying."

You have yet to provide a single citation for your specious assertion that "if fed correctly scratch can be a very good feedstuff in a poultry diet."

Quote: I have not twisted any information.
In fact I have been using the term, "over feeding protein" since my first post.




Quote from post 21


Quote: One I was just asking If you had a Background in Poultry Nutrition, I can see now that you don't.


Now yes chickens will eat to meat there energy need (I'v said that about 30 times on this site) but a high protein diet will make your birds hot so now they eat less. If you feed your birds a feed that is around 18% they will not be as hot as they would be on a 20 to 22 percent protein so they in fact eat the more feed that they would if they were on a 20 or 22 percent feed. In shot they loose no nutrition.

Like I said you can PM Lazy J on here, he has a phd in poultry nutrition.


Chris

 

[ADozenGirlz]

I have not twisted any information.
In fact I have been using the term, "over feeding protein" since my first post.







One I was just asking If you had a Background in Poultry Nutrition, I can see now that you don't.


Now yes chickens will eat to meat there energy need (I'v said that about 30 times on this site) but a high protein diet will make your birds hot so now they eat less. If you feed your birds a feed that is around 18% they will not be as hot as they would be on a 20 to 22 percent protein so they in fact eat the more feed that they would if they were on a 20 or 22 percent feed. In shot they loose no nutrition.

Like I said you can PM Lazy J on here, he has a phd in poultry nutrition.


Chris

You clearly are missing the point and it's no use trying to assist you in seeing the illogic in your position. And the word is "meet," their energy needs, not "meat." Meat is a type of protein. Be sure not to over-feed your chickens meat or scratch.
I, for one, am certainly relieved to have missed your 30 other bloated posts relative to meeting chickens' energy needs. Move on, dude. "A little information is a dangerous thing."