- Thread starter
- #61
ccoscina
Songster
- Nov 10, 2021
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So the point about it being evenly mixed is indeed a valid point. With that being said, I like variety in my own diet. You could mash a bunch of chicken, potatoes, fruits, veggies, and nuts into a smooth mixture and it might be the most balanced diet for me. But if that's all I ever ate then I wouldn't be happy. I want my girls to enjoy themselves. Although i must say you use more logic in your arguments than some other people on this thread.Corn instead of starving would probably help a chicken produce more body heat.
(So "corn keeps them warm" might be true for some chickens of the past, who would otherwise go hungry during a snowy winter.)
But a properly balanced food should keep chickens warm just as well as corn, and will also provide all the other nutrients the chickens need. (Properly balanced food: probably contains corn, soybeans, other ingredients, vitamin supplements, etc.)
And one major benefit of providing ONLY a properly balanced chicken feed that is in pellets or crumbles: no chicken can take the "best" bits, and no chicken is left with the "undesireable" bits, because all the bits are the same.
Regarding warmth - you are wrong, regular feed doesn't produce as much warmth as corn. This is a fact and you can research it if you want to learn more. Adding corn to the diet only during winter is a common thing for this exact reason. Furthermore, corn is a slow burn, meaning it breaks down slower and provides warmth for a longer period of time.
If my flock as a whole was having problems I would be more concerned about their diet. But if it is only one chicken that CLEARLY has genetic problems then I'm not going to worry too much.
I know it had genetic problems simply based on the fact that it is a rooster but also the lowest on the peck order (by far - it doesn't even come close to the next chicken). If it is a rooster and has had access to the same exact feed as the other chickens, you can't say the feed is the reason why every single one of my hens dominates this rooster. It is too afraid to peck them - i have never seen it peck another chicken in its whole entire lifetime. And if another chicken gives it a mean look then it instantly runs inside the coop in fear. It would be impossible for this to occur with a rooster unless it has genetic issues that make it not very fit to survive on its own.