Feeding oats?? What about the hulls?

[Chieftain]

I'm supplementing my chook's rations with whole oats. I got a 50 pound bag at the feed store, because that's the only size they carry, and transferred it to two food grade sealed buckets. I use a hanging feeder in the run and just add a quart container or so of rations and oats every morning. (This is an older picture of the feeder)

The girls like the oats just fine, but of course they eat the kernel and leave the dry husks behind. There is quite a ring of husks in there around the bucket now. They aren't billing out a lot of food at all, but there are a bunch of husks out there around the bucket where they eat. I can get hulled oats, but for a considerably higher price; it's the "Feed Grade" vs "Food Grade" issue.

Does anyone bother to clean those husks up, and if so how often? Will it do any harm to leave them and let the sand in the run scour them to dust? The run is plenty tight and secure and I don't expect we will have so much as a mouse problem. Other than looking messy, I don't see any harm in leaving it, especially since it would require sifting the sand to remove the husks; but I want to be sure I'm not overlooking something.

Thanks and Cheers!

 

[halo]

Im sure they are fine as is. Are you feeding crimped oats? They are usually more expensive than whole oats. I feed whole oats and they eat them, hull and all, just fine.

Edited to say I didnt read your post well enough:

You are feeding whole oats. Nevermind.

 

[catdaddy66]

They should be good for compost if you decide to rake the hulls up and move them from the run. If you are predator/pest proof I don't see the harm in letting them stay where they lay (pun intended

)

 

[Chieftain]

Thanks! I think we'll leave 'em for now and see how it goes.