Oats for chickens

[Pattis Peeps]

Several folks have mentioned feeding "oats" to their chickens. Is oatmeal what they are speaking about or oats that you feed to horses the same thing? Seems like it would be much more economical to buy the large bag of horse oats if they don't go bad. I'm feeding the layer pellets, calcium, grit and some scratch feed and the chickens also free range unless there is too much snow on the ground, but seems like they are burning up more than they are taking in, and they feel on the light side to me. Still laying well and acting normal, but wondered what else I might feed them to keep their weight on. Any suggestions?? Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Both. Whole grains don't go bad quickly. The rolled oats(oatmeal) is hulled oats/oat groats that are rolled. Whole oats are oats that still have the hull on. All will work but, obviously, the whole oats will have more fiber.
I only feed oats in warm weather as they're less energy dense than other grains. In winter I feed wheat and barley. BOSS year round.

Basically seeds are seeds and chickens will eat any. Some are more nutritious than others and some have anti-digestive components.

 

[chickencoop789]

Oats = oatmeal
You can feed them rice and pasta. It really has no nutritional value so it should help them put on weight.

 

[Pattis Peeps]

Thanks for the "feedback"!

 

[Aacre]

Lately, I have been feeding my chickens a cup of dry oatmeal every day.

They love it and gobble it up in no time! Now, every time I am outside, they think if they follow me, they'll get a cup of oatmeal!

 

[CSWolffe]

Yeah, chickens will eat just about anything, so oat meal or horse oats, they don't care. For my girls, it's an occasional treat, the mostly subsist on layer pellets and my lawn and flowers They get a lot more treats during winter and spring, when there is less forage(lawn and flowers), to keep them busy. Yesterday I tried scattering a handful of oats around the lawn, and they loved it. All buy by bossy RIR, who chewed me out(chicken swear words are quite comical), until I held out a handful just for her to gobble down all by herself.

 

[gilcamp4]

Lately, I have been feeding my chickens a cup of dry oatmeal every day.

They love it and gobble it up in no time! Now, every time I am outside, they think if they follow me, they'll get a cup of oatmeal!

I went and gave them the oat meal I had in my cabinet the kids left here, it had apples in it boy they eat that down, so now in the winter time I give the the oats that look like powder, whole oats, crusted corn, and the other week I found a whole bag of bird feed so I gave that to them too I give a bowl o each in a bucket then the laying pellets on top so when I go in and put it in the feeder the treats are on top. I found out they love the whole oats when I gave it to our bunny and they tried to go in under her cage, one got her neck ripped by the post from the fence I had to pull her out her neck had no feathers on it could some one tell me what boss is, I have had chickens for years and only heard that in the forums

 

[Aacre]

BOSS is Black Oil Sunflower Seeds.

 

[gilcamp4]

I do both, I had some oats the kids left here its the instance break-feast oats. then I give them the horse oats too

 

[gilcamp4]

BOSS is Black Oil Sunflower Seeds.

oh ok thanks I give them them already,