How to prep oatmeal

[Porterfive]

Have been reading on the forums that yoghurt and oatmeal are good to feed on a weekly basis.
Should the oatmeal be raw or cooked? If cooked, just like we would for ourselves?
Also read about feeding scrambled egg, is it better to feed those raw too? my girls laid two soft shelled eggs last night and they landed on the poop shelf. When I let them out of the coop some were standing on the shelf eating the eggs so I presume they must know they are good to eat.
Thanks for your help.
Jenny

 

[a2ms4chickens]

I just use the plain instant oatmeal and I cook it in the microwave.
I let it cool a little, then I stir in the yogurt.
A lot of people use the real oatmeal. I'm just not interested in cooking, so I
take the easy way out. My chickens are still alive, so are my DH and DS, so why do more than I have to. LOL

I have bantam modern games and OEGB whose eggs are less than small. So, I hardboil them, peel them and cut them up to feed to the chickens. That way, they shouldn't start eating their own eggs. The eggshell, I smash up and put out for them to eat. I usually just stick it in the layer feed.

 

[Katy]

Mine love plain old uncooked oatmeal.

 

[Brian]

I just have to chime in on this. Nothing to do with chickens.

For many years now I've been eating the old fashioned oatmeal (not the instant), and cooking it for 3 minutes in the microwave oven. It is much much cheaper than the instant, and it uses uses less packaging, which saves on the environment. Aside from the extra flavors they add to the instant (like strawberry, apples, cinnamon, etc), it is the exact same oatmeal, only it is broken! It is the broken and sifted stuff that is no longer a whole rolled oat. The scraps, if you will, that didn't make it into the "Whole" rolled oats product. Now that's slick marketing! Take your scraps, repackage it as "instant", and make more money per pound than the real deal!!! It cooks faster, because the hot water can get "into" the smaller pieces faster. One could, if they so chose, put regular oatmeal in a food processor for a couple of seconds to break it up, and presto: Instant Oatmeal!

Here's how I make my oatmeal: I put whole oats in a big bowl (one with room to boil in and not have spill over). I add water (you can use milk if you like). I put it in the microwave for 3 minutes. It will be boiling by the two and a half min mark. This is when you'll discover if you chose a large enough bowl! Then it's done, I take it out and add some sugar (actually, I use Splenda or Stevia) and some berries, and some cinnamon (actually, I dump on the cinnamon like there's no tomorrow). Add what you like. I let it sit until it's cool enough to eat (3-5 mins).

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Cooked and cooled oatmeal is better than raw oatmeal flakes. Raw oatmeal won't kill chickens, but there's something about it that affects the ingestion of nutrients from other food (I think).

Regarding feeding eggs, I wouldn't allow them to get a taste for raw eggs if I wanted any eggs left for myself... If you can rescue a broken egg, cook it scrambled - they'll love it and won't associate it with breaking and entering a raw egg.


This the link to the BYC Treats Chart. It suggests other nutritious treats too, and at the bottom it shows what NOT to feed your chickens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[CUDA]

The best way to feed oats, is to feed them whole soaked oats in my opinion. Just make sure you soak them in water over night to soften up the hulls. Trust me, they will love them, and they are much better than oatmeal.

 

[Pine Grove]

Even better is to let the oats soak for about a week and sour, No better feed for molting birds, And the sour oats will add beneficial gut flora

 

[keeperofthehearth]

#50lb of steamed rolled oats at TSC about $18.00 (approx. .36cents lb) Cheaper than oatmeal and heartier w/out the hulls. We've been tempted to eat them ourselves.

Look like the oats you would find in a good granola. YUM!

 

[CUDA]

Quote:
That's very true, but most people can't handle the smell! lol

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I've been feeding mine uncooked oatmeal for many years without any ill affects. I don't feed them alot everyday, but as a treat.

I do agree tho on the raw eggs....the worst thing to start with them is a taste for raw eggs. Once they become egg eaters it's next to impossible to get them to quit.