How do you prepare oatmeal?

[Goldie56]

How do you prepare oatmeal for your chickens? I read that they love it. Do you give porridge oats or fine oatmeal, cooked or raw? Being in Australia we may have different terms for these things.

 

[MoodyChicken]

Just a note, oatmeal has very little nutritive value for chickens, so don't feed it to weak or sickly birds!

But yes, they do love it. You should cook it. It might make them sick if it's raw because it absorbs so much liquid. I'd cook it in the microwave and sprinkle some vits and electrolyes on it.

 

[Goldie56]

What form does the electrolytes come in? Is it a product found at a farm store or a chemist (pharmacy,drug store)?

 

[PAJerry]

I cook oatmeal for my hens. They really like it and seem to give more eggs after getting it. One thing I'm doing that may be a bit 'off the wall' is add a tablespoon of black pepper to it while I cook it. They go absolutely crazy for the stuff. I have read that cayenne pepper is good for increasing egg production, but lacking that, the regular ground black is what they get.

 

[cluckychick]

I fix mine in the microwave. 1cup of oats to 2cups water or whatever liquid I use. I then add leftover food from the dinner table from the night before if it is not being used to prepare another meal. If I don't use leftover food to add to it then I add some scratch and mix it all up and throw it in their run.

 

[ams3651]

i use the quick cooking oats with some water in the microwave for a minute. Ive put apple sauce in it, once some left over meatloaf, peaches. They love it but I only give before bed on really cold nights or first thing in the morning.