I'm Confussed, Scratch or laying pellets or both?

[MayberrySaint]

Corn is a high energy grain (more kcal per kg or cal per lb than other feedstuffs). Therefore, as the grain is digested, more heat is released. Whether it really makes much of a difference in body temperature during hot weather is probably an old wives tale. The majority of starter/grower/laying rations is corn and they would consume a much higher amount of corn via these rations than they would from the cracked corn given as scratch.

The biggest problem with feeding a corn-based scratch in hot weather is that because of the high calorie count, the hens will eat LESS laying ration thus putting them in a protein deficient state. While corn is high in energy (calories) it is relatively low in protein. During hot weather, it would be better to provide a lower energy scratch (oats, barley) to ensure proper intake of laying ration.

So, the recommendation of not feeding corn as scratch in hot weather is good...it's just not for the reason that most say.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

I've tried to research it before and came to the same conclusion. Corn is called a "hot" feed because it has more calories by weight than other grains. People then falsely assume it actually makes the animal warmer.

I read somewhere that the majority of the heat produced when digesting grains is from the protein content. With corn at 9-10% protein it doen't make sense that corn would make them warmer.

Quote:
I'm not really following your explanation here. What does it have to do with hot weather? If they are eating too much scratch, it will dilute their protein intake regardless of the weather.

 

[Rocket Raley]

Well I took their scratch away and it wasn't pretty

They just looked at me like I was nuts, but finally they ate the layer pellets.
Man what a mess!!!! DooDoo everywhere. It was so black and thick I told my husband he could use that stuff for tare. It took me hours to clean the coop and I still didn't get it all up.
I know I had to look like a HazMat team, lol. With boots on, gloves, face mask, water hose in one hand and a mop in the other.

The funny part though is that we have linolum on the floor of the coop and I had all the doors opened and was spraying water on the floor. One of my bantys took off chasing one of my buffs. So the buff ran past me into the coop, hit the floor and did a slip and slid number all the way out the other door. So of course the banty did it too. I about died laughing. Apparently they enjoyed it cause they ran around the coop and pen and did it again. LOL

Anyway, back to the scratch. They ought to not put "Poultry feed" In big letters on the bag. It's confussing. I just went and looked at the bag again and the only way you know it's scratch is a little piece of paper attached to the bottom of the bag. It says
"Scratch Feed"
Ingredients: Cracked corn, Wheat.
Analysis
Crude Protein 8%
Crude Fat 2.5%
Crude Faber 5%

You would think they would put some kinda directions on the bag.

When my babies came out the brooder, I met a old guy that lives a couple of roads over. He has I'm guessing 100 or more chickens. He says he has been raising chickens all of his life. I took him 2 of my roosters. I happened to be there at feeding time and he only feeds his corn. He says he has a friend that grows corn and gives him a good deal for eggs. When corn is not in then he feed them scatch.

Well this first round of chickens has been a learning lesson.
Maybe I'll have it down pat my next year when we hatch some more.

 

[MayberrySaint]

Quote:
I'm not really following your explanation here. What does it have to do with hot weather? If they are eating too much scratch, it will dilute their protein intake regardless of the weather.

Let me see if I can explain it a little clearer...
1. Animals (chickens) eat to satisfy their caloric (energy) needs regardless of their protein requirements.
2. In hot weather, their caloric needs are less thus their feed intake goes down.
3. Because their feed intake goes down, the amount of protein they consume goes down. Even if they are provided an 18% ration, if they don't eat enough of the ration, their protein requirements will not be met.
4. In hot weather, if they are provided corn as scratch, this will go toward satisfying their caloric needs, thus further reducing the amount of laying ration they will consume, thus lowering their protein intake even more.
5. If you provide a lower energy scratch, it won't go as far in meeting the caloric needs of the hens, thus they will eat more laying ration, thus getting more protein intake.
6. You are correct that too much scratch will decrease their protein intake regardless of weather, but it is more exacerbated in hot weather.

 

[ruth]

I'll chime in with my two cents worth. First, I let mine free range all day - in the true sense of the word - open the run gate and let them loose - they have several acres of woods to scratch and eat from. Second I feed them a "dry" combo I make of chick feed - available at all times in run: 50 lb bag of layer crumbles (they didn't like the pellets); 25 lb bag of scratch; 10 lb bag of black oil sunflower seeds (in shell). I put a little of it in pans in run but the rest I just throw on the ground in several spots so they don't fight over it and everyone gets to eat. I bought two big plastic bins and mixed it all together. I feed it year round regardless of weather and we had some of the hottest most humid weather this summer that earth has ever seen and none of my girls seemed overheated or too fat. Of course they spend the day running, flying, digging and if they get hot or tired they can be found in a hole they've dug under some bushes somewhere in the woods. In addition to their free ranging and chick feed - I feed them "treats" (just thrown on the ground) twice a day (mornings before being let out and evenings after they return to run) - shredded cheese, fresh veggies and fruits, breads, cooked rice, can of peas - basically whatever I have around the house. By throwing the food on the ground they have to work and dig and scratch for it just like they do in the woods. I started doing that after watching how the babies would get in their food dish and start scratching around and it would all end up on the ground anyway. They just seem to love to be able to put their feet in it and scratch. I have three different age groups of chicks and when I was using feeding bins the older/dominate ones would not let the others eat so by throwing it on the ground in several spots everyone gets to eat and there's no fighting.

The four 19 week-old BSLs just started laying eggs this week and the shells are so hard they are hard to crack open and the yolks are dark orange.