they don't eat their corn

[punatiquemama]

I have been noticing for the last few years, that the chickens just leave the cracked corn from their scratch... when I mentioned it to my feed store people, they agreed that folks have been saying that.

Has that been an issue from any of you? At first I thought it might be the breed, so changed breeds, but that didn't help...

any ideas or suggestions?

 

[Welshies]

The breed of chicken will never affect what they eat- all chickens are pretty much the same.
Some chickens love corn, some don't.

 

[song of joy]

Almost all of the feed corn in the United States is now genetically modified (GMO). For example, Bt corn has been genetically altered to produce a protein that is poisonous to certain insect pests. When people or livestock eat this corn, they are eating the introduced protein insecticide as well. Some livestock can not only detect the difference between GMO and non-GMO corn, but they will avoid GMO corn if possible.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/326208

 

[Gray Farms]

Mine pick the corn out first. Don't know what to tell you there.

 

[17 chickens]

I only give corn to my critters in the cold winter time to keep them warm, I have to agree about the GMO and NON-GMO corn... Are you giving them as a treat daily? If so hold back the treat for a few weeks then they will be happy to have the corn.
I cook my huge flocks Oatmeal every day and it is like a feeding frenzy and it gives them extra protein, I will mix frozen berries in it in the summer time and warm berries in the winter. They love it!
I have over 150 chickens right now and adding another 200 here in the next month, I think I need bigger pots!

 

[JaeG]

Mine don't like corn either. Or wheat unless it is sprouted. Birds!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

any ideas or suggestions?

• How many Chickens are you feeding?

• What is the name brand on the corn bag?

• Egglayers or meat birds?

• Have you tried buying straight cracked corn not mixed with other grains? If so what was the results?
• How are you sure they don't prefer the grains other than the corn better? That might be a reason they are eating the icing and not touching the cake.

I only give scratch to my meat birds

..my flocks (150+) consume over 100 lbs of cracked corn a week. Whole corn they ignore. Even though whole corn is more nutritious. I mostly feed corn as a supplement during the winter months anyway. I Cut it back to 50 lbs a week during hot weather.
They actually fight over it when it is tossed into the runs. They can't get enough of it. But it is ration fed. Saving belly room for conventional grain/barley grain/& greens.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Could be something wrong with the corn, or as stated they are getting too much. What else is in your scratch? My chickens prefer whole corn to cracked, so maybe try switching.

 

[centrarchid]

The corn used to formulate the scratch may be rancid.

 

[Folly's place]

My birds love cracked corn! They get a little in their scratch, and sometimes some at the barn.
Corn can be contaminated by a nasty fungus (forgot the name) that's toxic, and the feed companies are supposed to test for it. If there's something wrong with the corn, stop offering it to them. It can be tested too.
Otherwise, most chickens do like corn, so I don't know why yours reject it.
Mary