Popcorn...

[PineBurrowPeeps]

I have a question regaurding popcorn.

My movie theater manager husband has acsess to a nearly unlimited supply of both already popped popping corn and unpopped popping corn.

Can I supplement my chickens diet with this? Right now I'm feeding them a 50/50 mix of grain and whole corn for warmth everyday. What's the difference between whole corn from the feed store and whole popping corn other than the look of it, anything? Would it be okay to feed it cracked if it's not okay to feed it whole? How could we crack it?

I would hate to put this food to waste and it's literally going into the dumpster on a daily basis.

We have given the girls popcorn as a treat (popped) and they love it but I wonder if the popping process reduces the nutrition in it somehow...
Thoughts please?

 

[cluckychick]

My son works at the movie theater and has brought home HUGE bags of popcorn for the chickens. I have never used it to supplement their feed as I don't think there is the right nutrients in it but they sure love it as a treat.

It gets rather stale but the chickens don't seem to mind. I just put it in a large container and it last months. I usually feed them a 1-liter container at a time.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Well right, but unpopped I wonder just how different it is from the whole corn we're already buying at the feed store which we only give in the cold.
I'm just wondering if it's worth saving up the unpopped corn for using in the cold months, if it would help warm them up like feed store corn does.

 

[Bammony]

I would feed it to them if it were me. I'd even feed it whole. JMO!

 

[Ron]

What about salt content in the popped corn? Could that become a problem?

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
Yes, salt is a problem, it needs to be unsalted popcorn, no butter or anything else either.

I have given my lot popcorn left overs before, and it had butter or something on it - but it wasn't very much. (a couple of cups full at the most)