How to feed cracked corn

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Cracked corn is just empty calories anyway, It just dilutes their real food.

Just what the birds will need in a cold winter night: Easy to access calories to burn and produce heat.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Runners need that extra heat to slim little things.

 

[Hyper_Chicken05]

But it adds behavioral enrichment for chickens to scratch around for it. Feeding a higher protein ration leaves room to feed some scratch, which gets birds moving and prevents boredom.

You could use some healtheir grain, But corn is fine if you don't have anything else. I was just saying its not the healthiest option

 

[New2Chicks97]

When I give my chickens their daily treat of scratch grains they usually eat everything but the corn. They like corn on the cob but apparently not the dried stuff. Guess it must not taste good because it doesn't matter what brand of scratch grains I get them they leave the corn alone.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

When I give my chickens their daily treat of scratch grains they usually eat everything but the corn. They like corn on the cob but apparently not the dried stuff. Guess it must not taste good because it doesn't matter what brand of scratch grains I get them they leave the corn alone.

Have you tried to eat a dried whole corn?
Not only tasteless, but also hard on your teeth.
I pour the cracked corn in a bowl with water and let it sit for a hour.
My duckies still are not enthusiastic about that stuff, but they eat it. Feeding them just hay and meatbird crumbles the whole winter sounds a bit humdrum to me.

 

[casportpony]

You all should try steamed rolled corn, mine love it!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Where do you get steamed rolled corn? @casportpony.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Where do you get steamed rolled corn? @casportpony.

You buy some corn and a steamroller...

Good question! The guy in the local store gave me a strange look.

 

[casportpony]

Where do you get steamed rolled corn? @casportpony.

You buy some corn and a steamroller...

Good question! The guy in the local store gave me a strange look.

That's funny.

It's usually sold as a horse feed, just ask for "rolled corn". I think it rolled for horses because it's more digestible that cracked or whole corn. Not sure if this is true for chickens, but mine do seem to like it much better than cracked and whole.

It also makes for a lovely hot mash. Something about the rolling process allows the corm to get good and soft after being in hot water.

Rolled corn

Cracked corn


Whole corn

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

That's funny.

It's usually sold as a horse feed, just ask for "rolled corn". I think it rolled for horses because it's more digestible that cracked or whole corn. Not sure if this is true for chickens, but mine do seem to like it much better than cracked and whole.

It also makes for a lovely hot mash. Something about the rolling process allows the corm to get good and soft after being in hot water.

Rolled corn
View attachment 1543484
Cracked corn
View attachment 1543482

Whole corn
View attachment 1543483

Thank you very much for the pictures! That explains it, it is the same thing they do with oat grains to make oat meal. Roll the grains flat between two (steam-) heated steel cylinders to crack the tough shell and to change the structure of the starches in the grain into something more digestible. Duckies use grit for that purpose
The store where i asked doesn't sell feed for larger animals, just poultry, rabbits and small pets, but i will ask again for »rolled corn«. Think the »steam« derailed them.