How to make a homemade feeder? And, is whole corn good to feed?

[cluckmecoop7]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if anyone knows how to make a simple, easy, whole corn/layer pellet feeder for chickens? I would like something that keeps the food dry when it rains. I was also wondering if it is a good idea to feed whole corn?
Thanks!
- Clucky

 

[21hens-incharge]

Oh dear.

That particular YouTube channel has been a source of a lot of debates.

I watched many of her videos so I could see for myself.

My personal belief is she is full of crap.

Layer feed....as stated in the bag is a complete feed no supplements needed. I do find high production breeds benefit from having oyster shell available in a separate dish.

Scratch and whole corn are treats. Treats tend to be low in protein. IF giving any treats do so in extreme moderation. For real less than 1/8th of a cup worth per chicken per day.
Bulky treats like fruits and vegetables I go up to 1/4 cup of coarse chopped veggies.

Remember that layer feed tends to be 16% protein. Giving treats low in protein dilutes the nutrients they are taking in.

There is a reason whole corn is cheap and it is NOT because it is nutritious.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Oh and.....

Do not mix treats, scratch, corn or other stuff like oyster shell or grit into the layer feed.

Scratch is just that SCRATCH it is used here as a way to keep penned birds active by spreading it over a wide space. It encourages ... well ... scratching.

 

[aart]

My personal belief is she is full of crap.

Agrees.

(And, Becky gives some good advice...I think...)

You know how they say "take it with a grain if salt"?
You need a whole shaker full of salt with her.

Any internet advice, including here, should be taken with a grain, or more, of salt.
It can be laborious to wade thru all the info and make decision, but it's essential.

 

[Tortoise]

I made one similar to one pictured.
I used a smaller square bucket from menards with a lid. I only have 2 chickens. It works great, holds lots of food and water can't get in.

 

[imnukensc]

There are hundreds of pics/threads on homemade feeders on here. With nearly 3,000 posts you surely know that and that whole corn should only be given as a treat.

 

[Kiki]

You're an evil man, @jolenesdad .

Yeah but if one is complaining about throwing away a ten dollar bag if corn or having to buy more feed...they probably don't need more mouths to feed.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I like to mix scratch, other seeds, and worms into their feed, kind of like lucky charms. It's still 90% layer feed, but it gets them a lot more excited about it. They free range and otherwise seem not that interested. Is there a problem with mixing other than that it wastes the scratchiness of the scratch?

Yes.
Many birds will seek out the tasty bits (lucky charms marshmallows) and bill out (waste by throwing on the ground) the nutritious bits.


Several years ago I took in 6 young pullets. They were around 11 months old. They had been fed 80% corn to 20% layer feed. Their health had been damaged by that.
Four of them died by age 2 and the other 2 barely got 3 years old.
Proper nutrition is very important.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Whole corn.....no not a complete feed by any stretch.

Chickens are omnivores...they REQUIRE a lot more than just corn to be healthy.

 

[jolenesdad]

I like to give treats... and so does my toddler. But really, they can cause total havoc for egg layers, I was getting a lot of soft shells.

So I just got more chickens so we could keep giving out the same amount of treats, and it made less of an impact on their diet.

feeding is a science and not really guesswork or generalizations, and you would really be throwing off the ratios of what they need by filling them up on corn.