Is it true that all chickens really need to eat is corn and supplements

[flowerbug]

So I've heard that chickens can eat just corn with calcium and grit and I've heard they absoulutly need to have pellets
I'm looking for some advice here ??
Lili

At Lili Lee's sunshine Homestead
Breeding the best and eating the rest

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under flowerbug

Welcome!

chippy99th has given you some great advice which I can not top so I will just add that I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun. Unlike non chicken loving friends, family and colleagues, BYC’ers never tire of stories or pictures that feature our feathered and non feathered friends

You might want to say hello on your local thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you ‘Find your State’s thread.

There are a couple of feeding articles in the Learning Centre: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/housing-and-feeding-your-chickens

And lots of posts in the Feeding and Watering Forum: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/12/feeding-watering-your-flock

 

[chippy99th]

I wouldn't feed just corn, calcium and grit. In fact, when it's mixed in with other seeds and grains, corn tends to be one of my chickens' least favorite foods. Also, it really warms them up. I give them more corn in the winter to help them keep warm, but if I fed them exclusively corn in the summer here in Arizona, they'd overheat fast!

Pellets are a great balance between good health and convenience, IMO. Our birds get good-quality pellets. BUT they also get lots of table scraps and are let out to free-range regularly. (Most outdoor flocks with a run don't need grit provided, by the way.)

Almost all animals do better on a varied diet. Veggies and grass, bugs, pellets, ground oystershell or eggshell for calcium, and table scraps are all part of a great diet for chickens. You can also give them dried mealworms or chicken scratch as a treat (NOT as a main course! For dessert!).

Alternatively, there are recipes out there for homemade chicken feed. Usually it is a mix of different kinds of grains -wheat, corn, barley, etc. -maybe with lentils, ground oystershell, and supplements mixed in. This is very tricky though, as you need to make sure your birds are getting the right amounts of protein, fat, and different nutrients. Sometimes we mix up some for our birds as a treat. I have also heard of different grains being sprouted as fodder for farm animals, including poultry. I've never done this. I'd imagine you'd still have to supplement with other foods for protein and calcium.

No matter what, the diet of the chickens should not be suddenly changed. For example, if you're giving pellets and want to switch to homemade, do your research on the best recipe and then switch over SLOWLY, over a period of weeks.

 

[N F C]

Teila has given you some good links to check out. I'd just like to add watch the table scraps, don't let that be more than 10% of their total diet. Chickens will be better off with their nutritionally sound feed and table scraps can be more like too much candy to a kid.

It's nice to have you here, make yourself at home!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - you have some great advice and links already so I'll just say hello!

All the best
CT

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to Backyardchickens.com aka BYC!
We are glad you joined our flock.
Jump right in and make yourself at home.

This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

A good read:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/69065/feeding-chickens-for-egg-production
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[Cynthia12]

Welcome! Great advice given to check out.
I wouldn't just feed them corn and calcium. They need some protein in there somewhere. Think about how they eat while free ranging. Bugs..mice..worms. List goes on.

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, flower bug, and ! Pleased you joined our community! You've already received a lot of great advice so I'll just say best wishes and thanks for joining BYC!

 

[007Sean]

Howdy flowerbug and Glad you joined the family. As already stated, you've gotten some good advice, I can't add to it so....Enjoy your time here

 

[ronott1]

Well I'll open this can of worms because there is so much confusion about corn. I agree with everything except this. Corn is commonly called a hot feed because it is a feed that packs more calories for conversion to energy than any other feed. It does not raise the body temperature of the chicken if they eat it during the summer nor does corn keep chickens warmer than other feeds in the winter. They will not go poof and self combust or have heat stroke

During the summer heat feed consumption can drop, egg laying can suffer and weight gain can reverse. Chickens become lethargic during the heat of the summer and don't visit the feeder as much. I live in NC Texas with a THI during July thru August. That's when I actually feed more corn or more accurately, corn chops. I've not had any mortality in July and August. Unlike whole corn which is too easy to find corn chops are about 2x +/- of large rice grains. Before I let them out to free range in the evening I'll throw several cups over the acre they run around in. It keeps the actively scratching around and actively eating their pellets.

Did your chickens that died in July and August die from the heat?

I focus on keeping mine cool and feed them layer feed year round. I do not give them scratch or grains at all.

I use a misting system on a timer, have shade screens over their run and coop and provide lots of cool water.

Last summer was the hottest on record for us here with temps over 110. I did not lose any chickens this summer