Official BYC Poll: Do you change your chicken feed in the fall to prepare for winter?

[StinkyAcres]

I provide a higher protein feed, usually chick starter, when they start to molt in the fall and throughout the winter, sometimes in addition to their regular layer feed.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

when cold/molt start to creep in, I make a mash each morning with a higher protein feed. I’ll also include some oats and sunflower seeds. An occassional hard boiled egg too. Winter is right around the corner!!

 

[Ecarroll]

Other, I start mixing in henhouse reserve feed, as the foraging goes down. When it gets really cold I start giving cracked corn.

 

[alwaystj9]

Once we have a killing frost, the nutritional value of grazing goes down so I up the feed a little. I add some extra feed or give some cracked corn scratch or bakery surplus bread before any particularly cold nights. I pretty much add feed to all the animals before a really cold night.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

It doesn't get cold in FL si mine just get the same feed all year

 

[Soujrnr]

I guess the bigger question for me is SHOULD I, rather than DO I. I'm not a chickenologist, so I'm not entirely sure if I should. I live in northeastern Tennessee, which doesn't get (and stay) brutally cold and snowy, but it does get cold overnight (sometimes around zero degrees Fahrenheit).

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

When the temperatures are cooling down and the chickens begin to molt before the winter weather hits, I begin feeding them more than usual, including the amount of treats I give them. But I mostly increase their regular chicken feed because that is the main thing that helps, not so much the treats. Feeding chickens a lot more in the colder months helps because eating creates heat in a chicken's body and aids in warming them. Corn is one of the most warming treats you can give chickens, but remember to only feed them corn in very small amounts as too much can easily get them unhealthy and/or sick, and corn is already present in their chicken feed. (I actually have taken whole corn seeds out of chicken feed I find and plant them and they grow.)

 

[Altairsky]

(I actually have taken whole corn seeds out of chicken feed I find and plant them and they grow.)

What's the problem? It just means they're fresh.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

What's the problem? It just means they're fresh.

I have seen my chickens choke on whole corn seeds before, plus I like planting things.

 

[texsuze]

Flock Raiser fed year round but I add scratch grains in the a.m. during winter only. Treats are year round.