I/2 LAYER PELLETS 1/2 WHOLE CORN OKAY FOR WINTER?

[Percheron chick]

I was afraid it wasn't proper nutrition. I will stick to layer pellets and only giving 10% "treats." Being a newbie it is frustrating not being able to rely on the feed store's advice, that's why I come here

@ Percheron chick: What are corn chops? Is that cracked corn?

@ ChickensAreSweet: I purchased a 40lb. bag of yellow field corn on the cob (made by the Armada Grain Co.) for a boredom buster in the coop and for warmth at night. Again the feed store told me I could feed it to chickens but now I'm wondering... one if it is even the right thing for chickens (because they don't seem overly interested in it and some kernels are too big for them) & two if it is dangerous for them- I don't know if it is deer corn???

Corn comes in a variety of shapes. Whole corn is just that. Dried whole corn kernels that can be too large for chickens to eat. Cracked corn is going to vary in size depending upon the equipment used. Cracked corn could be anything from almost whole corn kernels mixed with various sizes of corn fragments all the way to dust particles. Corn chops from the mill I uses is consistent size particles (about 1/4") and makes good scratch. Large enough for them to find but small enough to keep them busy for a little while.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I was afraid it wasn't proper nutrition. I will stick to layer pellets and only giving 10% "treats." Being a newbie it is frustrating not being able to rely on the feed store's advice, that's why I come here

@ Percheron chick: What are corn chops? Is that cracked corn?

@ ChickensAreSweet: I purchased a 40lb. bag of yellow field corn on the cob (made by the Armada Grain Co.) for a boredom buster in the coop and for warmth at night. Again the feed store told me I could feed it to chickens but now I'm wondering... one if it is even the right thing for chickens (because they don't seem overly interested in it and some kernels are too big for them) & two if it is dangerous for them- I don't know if it is deer corn???

I wouldn't worry about it with just one bag...I'd feed it. I think deer corn says deer corn on the bag - but I am not sure.

If they don't want it, the wild birds will eat it, or the squirrels.

 

[Michael Apple]

I wouldn't give them more than 10% of their daily ration as corn or (scratch), fed as treats, not free choice. They love it, but too much can lead to nutritional imbalances, then feather picking and the like. Keep them well balanced nutritionally, the winter months are bad enough by themselves, what with being cooped up more.

X2. With scratch grains, chickens will start choosing that over the pellets. It is like candy to kids. I give it, and it is good to get some fat on them for Winter, and help them produce heat, but I give it sparingly. Lots of people are under the impression that water soluble vitamins are only given in hot weather. They are beneficial during any extremes of weather or stress. Water dispersible probiotics are also beneficial since they are more easily absorbed in the digestive tract. Probios is one example of that: http://www.probios.com/-when-are-probiosreg-used.html

Avian Super Pack is also a very good quality vitamin-mineral supplement: http://www.asp-inc.com/products/documents/prodinfo/a/aviansp.pdf

 

[Krazzy]

i have 2 feeders in my main coop. i have one filled with whole corn, and one with layer pellets. the chickens seem to eat both of them at the same rate. i let my chickens free range as much as they want, and production is not really as important to me as it is to some people. it saves me some money, and i still get more eggs and meat than my family can eat.

chickens have been around long before people started making special feed for them.

 

[Beekissed]

You could always sprout the corn...corn is ridiculously easy to sprout and can be improved in that way.