Feeding cracked corn to younger laying hens

[tcriswell13]

i got some laying pullets that are about 6 weeks old and I was thinking of feeding them a diet of all cracked corn. They are not free range but they are kept on dirt and have plenty of hay and bedding to scratch in and some grass sprouts to eat. I give them tons of table scraps on top of that so would it be ok if I just gave them cracked corn in the feeder. They're not laying yet so I'm not really concerned if it messes with their laying. Any and all advice is appreciated... Thanks

 

[Fred's Hens]

They'll do about as well as you would should all your meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner should come from the value menu at your local McDonalds.

What is to be gained from this? A prepared, balanced feed costs virtually pennies more per day to day and you'd be assured of healthy, well developed birds.

 

[ggeorgas]

I am a beginner at chickens, but I have never been a fan of corn for any living thing. There is really no nutritional value. Is this also the case for chickens or is there nutrients they get from it?

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

.......which causes the fat build up in the body cavity.

Corn doesn't cause the build up, the improper nutrition causes the build up.

We are picking nits and on the same side of this argument. Corn isn't bad, feeding it improperly is.

 

[macdona pride]

@mightymax
Thanks for your response!Do you know of a layer feed that is organic and does not have corn or soy?
Happy new year

H & H Feed makes an organic layer feed that is soy free. They are located in Texas, but you can order from there website and they will ship anywhere in the continental U.S. Just google: H & H organic chicken feed

 

[chickengr]

just food for thought and yes this is my perspective. Corn has no nutritional value other than some warm in winter as gathered by reading this.
Why feed your chicken mainly corn when corn has no value and unless your buying non-gmo corn you are poisoning your chicken and yourself. Save all the trouble and by the in humane eggs at the grocery store. I really get sad when people eat this. It really is frightening what it will do to you health and animals.
I'm not a fan of corn at all. I have popcorn once in a while with my kids but I buy all organic. It is more expensive to buy, but I save a hell of a lot more in not going to the dr. Way the cost benefit. Cut cost somewhere else.
Healthy life is a happy life.

I feed my chicken with non gmo corn. My grandparents fed their chicken mainly corn and they were healthy, eggs and meat tasty.

 

[Chris09]

just food for thought and yes this is my perspective. Corn has no nutritional value other than some warm in winter as gathered by reading this.
Why feed your chicken mainly corn when corn has no value and unless your buying non-gmo corn you are poisoning your chicken and yourself. Save all the trouble and by the in humane eggs at the grocery store. I really get sad when people eat this. It really is frightening what it will do to you health and animals.
I'm not a fan of corn at all. I have popcorn once in a while with my kids but I buy all organic. It is more expensive to buy, but I save a hell of a lot more in not going to the dr. Way the cost benefit. Cut cost somewhere else.
Healthy life is a happy life.

Quote: Corn has no nutritional value other than some warm in winter as gathered by reading this.

The above post is incorrect, corn has a nutritional value in fact it has more digestible nutrition than other grains used in a feed mix or as a treat. As for adding " warmth" in the winter, corn does very little in warming a body.

Here is a chart that compares corn with a few common grains.

TDN = Total Digestible Nutrients​

NEm = Net Energy of Maintenance​

NEg = Net Energy of Gain​

CP = Crude Protein​

NDF = Neutral Detergent Fiber​

ADF = Acid Detergent Fiber​

​

Table 1. Nutrient content of various feed grains (NRC, 1996).​

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Corn Barley Wheat Oats Sorghum
-----------------------------------------------------------------
TDN, % 90 88 88 77 82
NEm, Mcal/lb 1.02 0.94 0.99 0.84 0.91
NEg, Mcal/lb 0.70 0.64 0.68 0.55 0.61
CP, % 9.8 13.2 14.2 13.6 12.6
Escape Protein, % of CP 55 27 23 17 57
NDF, % 10.8 18.1 11.8 29.3 16.1
ADF, % 3.3 5.8 4.2 14.0 6.4
-----------------------------------------------------------------




Table 2. Mineral content of major feed grains (NRC, 1996).
----------------------------------------------------------
Corn Barley Wheat Oats Sorghum
----------------------------------------------------------
Calcium, % 0.03 0.05 0.05 0.01 0.04
Phosphorus, % 0.32 0.35 0.44 0.41 0.34
Potassium, % 0.44 0.57 0.40 0.51 0.44
Magnesium, % 0.12 0.12 0.13 0.16 0.17
Sodium, % 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.01
Sulfur, % 0.11 0.15 0.14 0.21 0.14
Copper, ppm 2.5 5.3 6.5 8.6 4.7
Iron, ppm 54.5 59.5 45.1 94.1 80.8
Manganese, ppm 7.9 18.3 36.6 40.3 15.4
Selenium, ppm 0.14 - 0.05 0.24 0.46
Zinc, ppm 24.2 13.0 38.1 40.8 0.99
Cobalt, ppm - 0.35 - 0.06 -
Molybdenum, ppm 0.60 1.16 0.12 1.70 -
----------------------------------------------------------




Table 3. Nutrient content of corn using different harvest, storage,
or processing methods.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Escape
Dry TDN, NEm, NEg, Protein,
Corn Type Matter % Mcal/lb Mcal/lb CP, % % of CP
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dry Rolled Corn 86 90 1.02 0.70 9.8 60
Ear Corn 87 83 0.92 0.62 9.0 60
Steam Flaked Corn 82 94 1.06 0.73 10.0 45
High Moisture Corn 75 90 1.02 0.70 10.0 40
High Moisture Ear Corn 75 83 0.92 0.62 8.7 40
High Moisture Snapped Corn 74 81 0.90 0.59 8.8 40
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Chris09]

I do not believe that chicken food has got everything the label says. I do prefer to see the whole grains, which have more nutritional value. Milled grains if not consumed quickly loose their nutritional value and when the big companies do not sell food they simply pack it again with new dates. Whole corn is better than cracked if your chicken are big enough.

And what is the point of laying eggs every day if the eggs are like those in supermarket!

If the label says it is there then it is there...
Whole grains and cracked grains with in a feed have the same nutritional value and they do not loose their value do to products like tocopherols that are used as a preservative. Also "big companies" do not simply repackage outdated products with new dates.

Your just spreading false information that you have no idea about...

 

[azelgin]

Bad idea. Growing birds need protein. Cracked corn is not a good choice for a main source of nutrition, for any age chicken. Starter/grower is what you should be feeding, until they are almost ready to lay.

 

[Judy]

Cracked corn is far from a complete diet, and provides no vitamins and less protein than they need. If you wish to depend on their other food sources for a complete diet, that is up to you.