Using whole grains to avoid commercial feed?

[KYBOY]

I wonder if sometimes we way overthink how we feed chickens.

people have been raising chickens for thousands of years without speacially mixed, medicated feeds. Indeed, most of my life my chickens got a handful of corn a day to supplement what they found on the ground or in the grass. Thats it. They layed just as well as the chickens I have now that are feed on mixed feeds and pellets.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Quote:
yup. not much protein in grains only. if they're free ranging all day long and they're getting table scraps, then that would probably be ok. BUT, if they're not free ranging all day and not getting the table scraps, dont do it.

 

[Davaroo]

I wonder if sometimes we way overthink how we feed chickens. people have been raising chickens for thousands of years without speacially mixed, medicated feeds. Indeed, most of my life my chickens got a handful of corn a day to supplement what they found on the ground or in the grass. Thats it. They layed just as well as the chickens I have now that are feed on mixed feeds and pellets.

While I question the "just as well part" (memory has a way of clouding), I do agree with the overthinking part.
This is done a lot here, when it isn't needed. Given the right set of conditions and left alone, chickens are self regulating for the most and only need a bit of monitoring.

Well said.​

 

[Taz]

I don't pretend to know squat about chicken nutrition, but for years I have ground my own corn. The small grains, or what we called scratch, I would put into a bucket and soak with hot water over night. If you have a wood stove you can even put it on the back of the
stove. It will swell the grain and I have always felt that the chickens got more out of it. Especially in the winter when greens were not as available. And they really appreciate on a cold frosty morning if the mix is still warm. Also they will eat less of it thus saving in costs.

Taz....who now lives chickenless in Florida but has 25 pullet chicks on order for Feb.