To feed or not to feed corn, that is the question.

[Minchi]

Up till today I thought this was a no brainier. However I was asking advice from a place that sells some of the best eggs I have ever had and they said that they don't give corn to the chickens because it makes them lay less often. So I thought I would see everyone's opinion on the matter.

Do you feed your chickens corn?
Why or why not?

 

[Fred's Hens]

There are folks who don't wish to feed corn. Others, who don't wish to feed soybeans. Others, only if those grains are non-GMO.

Since corn is a huge portion of the layer feed I buy, yes, I feed corn, but not cracked corn independently of the feed. Is that what you meant? Or, were you considering corn in any form?

 

[FireTigeris]

I give it in winter- not that they need it in FL- I mix it with the normal table scraps and layer ration...

It's like candy, there is argument to how much 'good vitamins and nutrition' is in corn-

I would not feed it as a sole ration but mixed, I do that.

 

[cheeka]

my flock is still very young, almost 11 weeks... this is the first bunch of chicks I've had since the 90's... but back in the old days, I only used corn to lure them back into the pen or as a treat, it was never a staple in their diet. quality feed and free ranging for all kinds of goodies was the method, and i got the best eggs in my life! so... that is the plan for this bunch, I sure did miss having chickens for such a long time and am so looking forward to having eggs this autumn! i'm not basing this on any "knowledge", just thought i would pass along my experience...

 

[ozark hen]

I feed a bit of cracked corn in the cold months. Corn produces fat and fat produces body heat. I use it as a treat really. It is too hot to give it to them now...in my opinion...nothing is written in stone!! I do give them them the left over cobs when we have corn on the cob during the summer..again a treat. They mostly get tomatoes and watermelon in the summer

 

[Chris09]

I feed corn along with there regular feed, Corn helps with yolk color along with skin color on yellow skin breeds. Like all feed stuff if fed correctly there is no reason not to feed Corn.


Here is a good chart comparing corn with other common feed grains

TDN = Total Digestible Nutrients
NEm = Net Energy of Maintenance
NEg = Net Energy of Gain
CP = Crude Protein
NDF = Neutral Detergent Fiber
ADF = Acid Detergent Fiber

Table 1. Nutrient content of various feed grains (NRC, 1996).​

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Corn Barley Wheat Oats Sorghum
-----------------------------------------------------------------
TDN, % 90 88 88 77 82
NEm, Mcal/lb 1.02 0.94 0.99 0.84 0.91
NEg, Mcal/lb 0.70 0.64 0.68 0.55 0.61
CP, % 9.8 13.2 14.2 13.6 12.6
Escape Protein, % of CP 55 27 23 17 57
NDF, % 10.8 18.1 11.8 29.3 16.1
ADF, % 3.3 5.8 4.2 14.0 6.4
-----------------------------------------------------------------




Table 2. Mineral content of major feed grains (NRC, 1996).
----------------------------------------------------------
Corn Barley Wheat Oats Sorghum
----------------------------------------------------------
Calcium, % 0.03 0.05 0.05 0.01 0.04
Phosphorus, % 0.32 0.35 0.44 0.41 0.34
Potassium, % 0.44 0.57 0.40 0.51 0.44
Magnesium, % 0.12 0.12 0.13 0.16 0.17
Sodium, % 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.01
Sulfur, % 0.11 0.15 0.14 0.21 0.14
Copper, ppm 2.5 5.3 6.5 8.6 4.7
Iron, ppm 54.5 59.5 45.1 94.1 80.8
Manganese, ppm 7.9 18.3 36.6 40.3 15.4
Selenium, ppm 0.14 - 0.05 0.24 0.46
Zinc, ppm 24.2 13.0 38.1 40.8 0.99
Cobalt, ppm - 0.35 - 0.06 -
Molybdenum, ppm 0.60 1.16 0.12 1.70 -
----------------------------------------------------------




Table 3. Nutrient content of corn using different harvest, storage,
or processing methods.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Escape
Dry TDN, NEm, NEg, Protein,
Corn Type Matter % Mcal/lb Mcal/lb CP, % % of CP
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dry Rolled Corn 86 90 1.02 0.70 9.8 60
Ear Corn 87 83 0.92 0.62 9.0 60
Steam Flaked Corn 82 94 1.06 0.73 10.0 45
High Moisture Corn 75 90 1.02 0.70 10.0 40
High Moisture Ear Corn 75 83 0.92 0.62 8.7 40
High Moisture Snapped Corn 74 81 0.90 0.59 8.8 40
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Minchi]

Wow, that chart is very helpful. I give mine a little stone ground corn meal in there food but they are still young. I am trying to get all the information I can so that when they start laying I am ready with the right feed. I know I over think it.

 

[n8ivetxn]

I know I over think it.

I think we all do, sometimes....better than under thinking

Good question, everytime I go to feed a little of it, I stop and question it...

 

[Minchi]

Ahh my good friend form Texas with a bit of that wisdom I was raised with. Better to over do then under do.

I am getting some rain today, did you get that sun I sent?

 

[n8ivetxn]

I was hoping somebody would send some