Questions about corn and other food...looking for actual documentation

[sommrluv]

I'm curious...I keep "hearing" not to feed corn as a scratch or feed because it warms the chickens up too much in Summer. Any proof? I haven't given it for a couple months, and just curious.

Chicks and corn? People raised chicks for hundreds of years without feed stores...just curious where the thought is coming from, scientifically, that they must have "starter/grower" until XYZ years of age.

Any noted sources that give an estimate of what is an acceptable amount of calcium in a feed for juveniles, or a date to start them on a laying feed?

Thanks for any help... I keep seeing the same opinions over and over...just curious what there is to back this up.

 

[sommrluv]

Anyone? I did continued research online last night, and found some studies that even increased calcium in chicks when adding magnesium with some benefit.

I'm not a laboratory, I'm not about to do experiments...just curious if there is any documentation that anyone knows of?

 

[acid_chipmunk]

I'd like to know, too. A person that I trust very much only feeds her chickens scratch and free choice oyster shell and has never had any problems with her birds. I keep reading over and over that scratch should only be given as a treat, but says who? Who decided all of this?

 

[speckledhen]

There is a good thread here started by Mac in Abilene that has documentation that corn DOES NOT warm them up. Try search. I'll see if I can find it for you.


Here you go:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=74876


The reason scratch should only be used as a treat is that it lowers their protein levels too much and makes the hens too fat if fed excessive amounts of scratch, leading to serious egg issues like binding.

 

[Debob]

While growing up in 50s-60s,we used a lot of whole,and cracked corn. Never seemed to hurt any of our chickens then,do not hurt them now.I through them a cup in the morning and a cup in the late afternoon. Seem that it is a treat to them. they still have a feeder in their coop and I haven't seen any ill effects of my actions,or of their eating.Averaging 9 eggs one day 11 the next out of 11 ladies.No roos as of yet though.Later this fall we will see about that.

 

[sommrluv]

Thank you, I'll check that link! I forgot about this thread until now.

 

[sommrluv]

Whoo, that's a long thread! I fished through quite a bit of it and found it informative. Thank you!