The girls hated the oatmeal so what other foods for cold days?

[Chicks Galore3]

I tried oatmeal with molasses- it was a hit! I am giving them some keifer tomorrow morning since we have some extra.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

Quote: Shells crushed up and fed back make a good calcium intake gypsy!

 

[bridget-rdh]

Same with earwigs. My daughter freaks at the sight of one (same with spiders) and I can't claim earwigs are my favorite insect. BUT the girls LOVE them! So I found myself collecting them from around the above ground pool after I pulled a hunk of tall weed and found earwigs were living under it. Threw them in a quart yogurt container one by one and put the top on after each or they would crawl out. Shake it before opening to put the next one in. Take it down to the girls and end up with chickens in my lap with their heads shoved in the container (they do NOT understand sharing equitably). I worked my way around the pool for a week or so then ran out. But I bet there will be more next year

So, you kind of get used to the creepy crawlies when it is for THE GIRLS!

And though I haven't raised meal worms, if I recall, they are WAY less creepy than earwigs. At least they don't go scurrying this way and that and don't have pincers.

Bruce

Oh, I could never ever touch one of those! I had to google earwigs, as they aren't common here, and omg am I glad! Those make mealworms look easy! I started oat sprouts last night.. Will see how they do. I'm hoping to sprout oats and BOSS together, to mix in with the regular scratch. Oh, and they cleaned up the leftover mashed potatoes this am, cold right out of the frig, stirred in with their scratch and BOSS sprouts.

Creepy!

 

[Mychicagoladies]

I love all of these ideas!

 

[Equine4Mom]

Whole oats, cooked with water to cover, is what race horses were fed back in the "old days". It isn't a pleasant smell, but as most chicken lovers will attest, if it's for the girls, anything goes, including odd smells from the kitchen! I loved making mash for our horses in colder weather, and they loved eating it! My layers are the same; just remember that the protein content of oats is much lower than any commercially feed for layers, 9 - 10%. I use a 20% flock feed for all my fowl, so I have a bit of wiggle room to add oats/scratch. Fifty pounds of whole oats goes a LOT further than any packaged oatmeal. Mine eat it as part of their "treat ration" with no problems, but since we're talking about warmed food for a cold winter night......

Cook the whole oats in a large pot, and keep adding water as needed. Stir often to prevent sticking and scorching, there should always be enough water to remain soupy. Once the grain bloats and splits, it's done. Store any remaining in the fridge for a quick warm up as needed for your cold nights.....add anything you want to this mixture, scratch, raisens, yogurt, ground flax, etc. I won't have any left overs between the horses and the fowl

Hope this helps!

Diane

 

[Gypsi]

Oatmeal offered too regularly contributed to thin egg shells on my aging production reds. It should be a treat or be sure to put some calcium in it.

 

[Gifa]

Oatmeal offered too regularly contributed to thin egg shells on my aging production reds. It should be a treat or be sure to put some calcium in it.

This is precisely why I add the yogurt and layer crumble to my oatmeal/scratch mix. I only offer it on very cold mornings... and then every third or fourth batch I make I use milk to cook the oats in too.

 

[3forfree]

I gave some oatmeal to my 5wk old chicks this morning and they didn't like it because I think it was too hot, but as it cooled off they attacked it.

 

[coloradojen]

I learned this when my husband was raising racing pigeons. We lived in Ohio at the time and tried it with the chickens and ducks and they loved it. Now I live in Colorado and when the temps started changing I started throwing in corn a few days ahead of time to help build them up. They love it and I keep it up daily but will add more when I know it is going to be very cold.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

That's strange - When I gave my grown girls oatmeal for the first time they gobbled it up like there was no tomorrow! You can give them warm (not hot) water. I do that in the mornings to help keep inside their bodies warm.