How often can I feed corn? What are the nutrients does corn have?

[lynviviana]

Can I feed too much corn? How often can/ should I feed it? Does it matter? I love to see my flock run out of the coop when I throw some in the run. Lol.

 

[azygous]

Corn is mainly carbohydrates, important in winter. In summer, carbs not used end up as fat, sometimes shortening the life of the chicken. Corn can be given sparingly, keeping in mind it's already in most commercial feed. Try alternating corn as a treat with rolled oats and black sunflower seeds. Treats should all be kept to a minimum to avoid excess weight gain and risk of fatty liver disease.

 

[neo71665]

Cracked corn or fresh corn is a treat and that's it. Personally I don't ever feed it to birds.

They shouldn't ever be given whole kernel dried corn.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Corn is cheap filler. Which is why its usually the first ingredient in chicken feed. Its moderately low protein, lacks two essential amino acids chickens can't produce themselves (lysine, tryptophan), and is high carb. Corn, offered in addition to a complete feed, should be considered "treat" and not exceed 10% (by weight) of total daily feed.

BOSS are high protein, but also very high fat. Again, "treats".

Oats are moderately high in tryptophan (you know, one of the essentials corn is missing), fiber, and niacin (B-3) which is particularly needed by ducks and geese. Sadly, they are also low in Lysine. "Treats" Careful of supermarket oats, they are often (almost always) fortified, particularly with extra B vitamins. An excess of B-1 (Thiamine) can render the Amprolium in your medicated feed (if you use it) ineffective.

As @azygous said, best to rotate, and in total, shouldn't exceed 10% by weight on a daily basis. Less is better.

If you want a treat day to provide the missing lysine? You need either soy meal or a lot of fenugreek growing in your run/pasture. Soy is one of the few "complete proteins" in the plant world, and fenugreek is high in both lysine and tryptophan.

 

[mcdze]

if you free roam birds its not a problem, you can go 75% corn mixed with some good stuff like layers pellets.. if theyre confined i'd do it the other way around, cut it 1/4 or 1/3rd with corn to lower feed costs ..

 

[U_Stormcrow]

if you free roam birds its not a problem, you can go 75% corn mixed with some good stuff like layers pellets.. if theyre confined i'd do it the other way around, cut it 1/4 or 1/3rd with corn to lower feed costs ..

I just cut the total feed. Free ranging saves me 25-35% on my feed costs, seasonally variable. (To the extent FL has actual seasons). I'm currently feeding the flock in my sig (below) on less than 10# of feed daily, even with the goats "helping". and yes, chicken feed is bad for goats - unless they are also forced to free range. Mostly, goats eating chicken feed is bad for the wallet - which they will also chew on, given the chance.

Using the local mill, I'm at just under $0.23/lb.

 

[neo71665]

Goats are like boats. The best 2 days are the day you bring it home and the day you get rid of it.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

"Sage", my eldest, is going to fill a small freezer. Waiting for him to get one of my girls with a fresh babe, then he's off to freezer camp. I've one of his children to replace him. Still looking for a larger nanny to have a second female on the property, but I want (small) meat genetics and dairy are popular here - so its a waiting game.

 

[3KillerBs]

Corn is chicken candy.

A little as a treat, especially when training, is fine. Substituting corn for more nutritious food is bad.

I usually only give scratch when I'm encouraging my chickens to turn over a neglected area of the run and I give it by throwing it into the litter so that they have to work for it.

I also used it during integration to get the flock to eat together -- tossing it on both sides of the dividing wire.

The days that I give scratch I try to also give a high-protein treat like a picked chicken carcass, a roast bone, or some Dubia roaches.

 

[Folly's place]

As mentioned, treats are treats, not a balanced diet, so great for teaching the birds to come when called, but no substitute for their main diet.
Also, please don't plan to give huge amounts of corn, or any treat, mixed with small amounts of actual feed. Malnutrition is not a good thing!
Mary