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

[pennyJo1960]

They do not need corn once a month as a treat

 

[Manhen]

Spread it out to wildlife, and give your girls no more than 3/4 a cup a day as a treat, and probably a little less if you free range.

and like I mentioned... get more chickens and it will go faster.

The chicken math.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Agreed with the others.
Layer feed or all flock feed. Oyster and grit on the side. You can feed the corn as a treat slowly over time, same with other snacks. Some snacks are better than others, and corn is pretty bad. I use a bit in the winter just for some extra calories when they aren't laying much but need to keep warm. I prefer healthier snacks though. And it's just that. A snack.

I would question heavily anyone who fed any less than 14 chickens a single cup of corn a day, let alone two.

 

[imnukensc]

A handful of corn per bird fills a 16 oz cup

A handful of corn doesn't come anywhere close to filling a 16 oz cup (which is 2 cups, BTW). You might get 4 oz from a handful of corn if you have ham hands.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

A handful of corn doesn't come anywhere close to filling a 16 oz cup (which is 2 cups, BTW). You might get 4 oz from a handful of corn if you have ham hands.

I believe they said a handful per bird per day. Which seems excessive. It would add up awfully quick.

 

[floppysquirrel04]

If you’re concerned about the money in feeding chickens, have you heard of fermenting feed? You should do some research on it. Basically, the food doubles in volume. For example, if you put 2 cups of food in a jar, fill said jar with water about 1-3 inches above the food, put a towel over the jar so it gets air, and it will ferment in about 3 days, give or take a few depending on the temp. Those 2 cups will expand to almost 4 cups, cutting your feed bill almost in half. It has all sorts of probiotics and helps them lay more. I would agree with others, either ditch the corn or only throw out a small bit every few days. The fermenting feed has more benefits, you should put it in the search bar or look for an article about it.

 

[Cwestlake]

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.

Great information! Thanks a bunch!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

A handful of corn doesn't come anywhere close to filling a 16 oz cup (which is 2 cups, BTW). You might get 4 oz from a handful of corn if you have ham hands.

@Mother Clucker 29 may mean a handful of corn per bird, x the number of birds she has, works out to 2 c total. We do well to listen to what people are saying. .

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I wish I could return it.

 

[jolenesdad]

I wish I could return it.

I wonder if corn sprouts....