How much is too much?

[madison0614]

How much corn is too much corn for chickens?

 

[aggiemae]

I give a few handfuls of scratch that is mostly cracked corn to my hens mixed 50/50 with raw hulled sunflower seeds when I open the coop in the morning. About 1 cup for 8 hens. They do eat the sunflower seeds first. I don't think there is enough protein in corn so it should really just be a treat.

I read somewhere that corn should be no more than 10% of their diet.

 

[pdirt]

I read somewhere that corn should be no more than 10% of their diet.

This is good advice assuming the other 90% is formulated chicken feed.

However, corn is often a major ingredient in many chicken feeds (I'm guessing 30% or more), which is not a problem because it is balanced with the other nutrients of the feed. Feeding them only corn with some free range is not a good idea.

 

[madison0614]

I give a few handfuls of scratch that is mostly cracked corn to my hens mixed 50/50 with raw hulled sunflower seeds  when I open the coop in the morning. About 1 cup for 8 hens. They do eat the sunflower seeds first. I don't think there is enough protein in corn so it should really just  be a treat.

I read somewhere that corn should be no more than 10% of their diet.

This is good advice assuming the other 90% is formulated chicken feed.

However, corn is often a major ingredient in many chicken feeds (I'm guessing 30% or more), which is not a problem because it is balanced with the other nutrients of the feed. Feeding them only corn with some free range is not a good idea.

Thanks. I usually give my flock of 7 chickens 2-3 ears of corn every other day.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It’s all about a balanced diet. They need so much protein, fats, fiber, minerals, amino acids, and all that stuff in a certain ratio. There is a range for all that stuff, it does not have to be that precise. As long as you are close you will be OK. Some chickens forage for a lot of their food, others eat mostly processed chicken feed so it is hard to be very specific, but if their primary food is commercial chicken feed, you are OK as long as the treat is not more than 10% of their diet.

Of course it depends on what they normally eat and what the specific treat is but a general rule of thumb is you are OK if they can clean the treat up in 10 to 15 minutes.

 

[ramz8435]

I keep getting mixed answers on another site I got my flock from a neighbor and he said to feed them scratch grains so I have we've mixed in layer feed and grit in with it should I switch to the regular poultry feed and also I have two layers do I need to feed them separate from my pullets since I giver layer feed

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It depends how old your pullets are if they can be on layer feed now. If they are point of lay, going to start laying within a month, then go right ahead and put them on layer feed. If younger you should feed all the birds a grower or all flock type feed and offer oyster shells free choice so the layers get the calcium they need. I just toss a handful of shell on the ground once or twice a week. They'll all peck at it but the layers will consume a lot as they know they need it. We typically have birds of all ages and cockerels/cocks so only feed grower or an all flock (turkey finisher or similar). The only thing that changes with my feed is protein content if young chicks and pellet or crumbles, again if small chicks everyone gets crumbles.

Scratch grains I don't use often but do use sunflower in winter months. If your inclined to do so toss a handful or two on the ground as a treat or training aid. Using treats and a call or whistle simultaneously you'll get your birds running to you in no time with just the call.

 

[pdirt]

I keep getting mixed answers on another site I got my flock from a neighbor and he said to feed them scratch grains so I have we've mixed in layer feed and grit in with it should I switch to the regular poultry feed and also I have two layers do I need to feed them separate from my pullets since I giver layer feed

I wouldn't mix scratch with layer feed, the scratch will dilute the nutrition of the layer feed. Nor do you need to mix grit nor oyster shell into the feed. In any case, have grit available in a side dish, if your birds are locked up in a coop/run. If they free range, even for part of the day, they should be able to find their own grit. Mixing oyster shell into grower feed is okay if you know what you're doing, but do not mix it with layer feed, it will be too much calcium. Easiest is to just have a side dish of the oyster and then hens currently laying will eat what they need and other birds (molters, Roos, chicks) will basically leave it alone.

Scratch as a sole feed isn't a good idea because scratch is severely deficient in vitamins, minerals and protein.