is grain healthy?

[jessmg1987]

I was wondering what the best thing is too feed laying hens? I am feeding them dumor crumbles and cracked corn. I am wondering if that is considered organic? is it a healthy choice of feeding? whats the healthiest choice?

 

[centrarchid]

I was wondering what the best thing is too feed laying hens? I am feeding them dumor crumbles and cracked corn. I am wondering if that is considered organic? is it a healthy choice of feeding? whats the healthiest choice?

Not organic, Rumor feed which I use as primary quality protein for confined birds is not organic. Organic nature of your corn needs to be researched through your supply chain.

Healthiest choice hands down is natural for ages but is there enough. If short then supplementing with an intact grain often best first measure. The crappier the forage the better / more expensive the supplementation needs to be. I use birds foraging behavior, crop fill at night and egg production as indicators as to whether more and better feed needed.

 

[jessmg1987]

what is natural for ages?

 

[centrarchid]

"For ages" should be "forages."

 

[Clay Mudd]

I'm kind of embarrassed that I didn't realize that that was what you meant.

 

[centrarchid]

I'm kind of embarrassed that I didn't realize that that was what you meant.

You suffer my use of a Kindel and not having glasses.

 

[jessmg1987]

When you say natural forage what excary do u mean? Like vegetable or fruits?

 

[centrarchid]

When you say natural forage what excary do u mean? Like vegetable or fruits?

For chickens natural forages are dominated by vegetative plant materials but includes seed and animals, particularly those with six or more legs. Birds will often pass up everything else when insects are abundant but that is seldom realized. Fruits also consumed but they are seldom available for any length of time and most poultry keepers do not have the appropriate plants accessible for chickens to glean.

They have to round up the eats themselves to be forage. If you bring it in, then it is feed.

 

[jessmg1987]

So can I get these seeds at tractor supply?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I was wondering what the best thing is too feed laying hens? I am feeding them dumor crumbles and cracked corn. I am wondering if that is considered organic? is it a healthy choice of feeding? whats the healthiest choice?

As said, Neither Dumor feed, nor cracked corn are organic.
If you don't have pasture with lots of bugs and various succulent plants, the healthiest choice is to feed only chicken feed. Chicken feed is formulated with the correct ratio of all the nutrients chickens are known to need to be healthy. Adding things like corn, (which is already the primary ingredient in most chicken feed) will affect that balance. Corn is low in protein and vitamins.
Other seeds/grains are a little better. Some things like sunflower seed, oats, barley, wheat, millet are more nutritious than corn but more expensive and most aren't available at Tractor Supply except as wild bird food.