How do you feed OATS to chickens?

[Barry Natchitoches]

Please forgive me -- I'm a southern city boy who was raised on grits, not oatmeal.


A friend has given me a sack of whole oats.


How do I feed this to my chickens? Do I have to grind it up, or can I feed it to them as is?


Do I have to cook it? Do I have to "roll" it?


What is the difference between whole oats and "rolled" oats, anyway?


I'm just looking at the stuff, and wondering what to do with it.

 

[lizro]

Hello. I feed my 9 hens 3 handfuls dry organic oats first thing - I put the oats on a couple of heavy metal trays; they have organic groats throughout the day in bird feeders and layers pellets in a big feeder; they don't eat many pellets. In the evening they have 2 large handfuls oats mixed with a little organic salmon/turkey cat food or tinned sardine or tuna in water to push up the protein - especially if they are refeathering - these are rescue hens. They free range a large garden all day. They eat a lot of grass. All happy and laying well.

 

[Gypsy07]

Fred's Hens :

Healthy extra they'll enjoy.

Pour one cup into 3 cups of boiling water. Cover with heat on very low. Cook for 8 minutes. Allow to cool. Dump on the ground for scratch, or place in feed trough. Similar to boiling to rice.

Here in Scotland that is what's known as PORRIDGE. Best breakfast in the world! That'll put hair on your chickens' chests. LOL!​

 

[Olive Hill]

Oh good heavens! No you do not have to cook oats for your chickens. They're chickens, people! Seriously! An oat is a seed, birds eat seeds, chickens are birds.

 

[fishnet1971]

um... now I advise you get the Quaker instant oatmeak, preferablethe apples and spice kind. make sure you cook it to the correct temperature to get the correct consistancy. Let it cool down so as not to burn their little tongues when you spoon it out to them. Sometimes you can add a few nicely browned pieced of bacon on the side. Maybe a slice of toast with butter and jelly?

take it down to the fluffy butt hut and enter SLOWLY. for heavens sake they are still snoring at this hour of 9 AM. Wake them with the smell of warm oatmeal and bacon.

 

[Gypsy07]

Aw, don't feel bad, people were just funning with you. When you have concerns about something like that, like the oats swelling up and doing them damage, then you're always better to ask. I mean, you'd feel stupider if you DIDN'T ask and harmed your chooks. And I'm willing to bet that there are a whole lot of people on here that regularly serve up a hot breakfast in winter. I don't cook mine bacon and waffles, but I do pour hot water over their mash and mix it into a nice creamy paste for them. They love it!

 

[X2Farm]

Quote:
Um.... all my birds are healthy lil heathens... I don't cook any of thier feed before giving it to em! Oats included!

 

[fishnet1971]

oh please please PLEASE dont get mad at us, we are all just funnin with you! yea, that was actually a photo ofmy roo Bird and YES he was eating quaker oatmeal off my spoon. and YES it was apples and spice. ( I found it at a flea market for pennies). yes, some of us treat our birds like others would a familiy dog, or like. we mean well here. We really do. Dont stop asking questions, that how those of us that dont know things learn!

 

[Kansaseq]

I've been on here since, what, '09? And I didn't know the answer to that question. Because you asked, now I do. So thank you for asking

 

[bluere11e]

One of my old mares is a REALLY hard keeper. The vet suggested I start adding a couple of pound of oats to her daily feed and see if it would help. A lot seems to come out through the other side. My chickens are CRAZY about that stuff, My manure bins have NO road apples in them, they are all kicked apart, which is even better for compost. However, I don't like the waste factor. ( well, is it waste if Bonnie doesn't digest it, but the chickens pickup after her?). Still, I sometime sprout my wild bird seed and oats for the chickens and decided to soak the mare's oats between feedings. I see less in her poop, the chickens still scratch around in it looking for stray oats and I am hoping to maybe see weight put back on this mare soon. ( She's an insulin resistant 28 year old HARD keeper) Once the rains start coming and she starts to get a small amount of pasture time, she blooms right up.