What age can a chicken eat whole corn?

[the simple life]

Not following your thoughts...

 

[3KillerBs]

Quote:
I was wondering if chickens could eat the corn straight off the cob.

I've considered raising some of the colored field corn for ornamental purposes and wondered if the ears could be given to chickens once the display was changed.

 

[barrybro]

I raise my broilers in chicken tractors. They get regular feed as well as the grass and bugs they eat.

My wife and I also have a pumpkin patch. A part of the pumpkin patch is a corn box. I end up putting about 400 lbs of whole corn in the corn box for kids to play in during the season. Due to corn leaving the farm in shoes and pockets etc.. we end up with about 350 lbs of corn. I am trying to think of the best way to use the corn. We are in Michigan so I am done with my last batch of outdoor broilers. However there is a place in a barn where I could raise 20-25. Was just curios if I could utilize the whole corn for them. I wouldn't want to buy a lot of other feed.

Barry

 

[biomistake]

Whole corn is only 8% protein where the broilers of course need a very high protein. IF you take their feed away at night for about 12 hours slow their growth down a bit and start feeding the corn at 8 weeks with the grower feed you should put a bit of nice yellow flavorful fat on them and butcher them at 10-11ish weeks. I have seen some of my 6-8 week olders snitch corn from the larger birds before so it really just depends on the average.

Or you could get a less expensive grinder and make chops for them and start feeding it at 5 or 6 weeks as a supplemental feed. If you do go this route of course a turkey starter/grower with 20+ percent protein will help offset the lack of protein of the corn.

The reason whole corn is better than chops because it maintains its moisture as whole and not broken which allows more energy to be utilized. Cracked corn has been sitting for you dont know how long in a bag on a shelf and dried out becoming not much more than filler.... (if I am wrong someone please correct me)

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
Cracked corn does not lose it's nutrittional value compared to whole corn and it does not become 'filler'.

Corn is a source of energy mainly from carbohydrates and partially from the oil content, storing cracked corn in a dry, ambient environment won't affect the energy content unless there is a infestation of insects or it loses it's condition.

Jim

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I'd say 4 weeks....

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

Quote:
Cracked corn does not lose it's nutrittional value compared to whole corn and it does not become 'filler'.

Corn is a source of energy mainly from carbohydrates and partially from the oil content, storing cracked corn in a dry, ambient environment won't affect the energy content unless there is a infestation of insects or it loses it's condition.

Jim

It will lose it's nutritional value a lot faster than whole corn....​

 

[TruthHunter]

Down here(Florida), cracked corn tends to get moldy. My
birds don't like it and I'm not sure I want them to keep eating it.

My bantams alway turn up their noses at whole corn.

Has anyone ever tried sprouting corn? Or just soaking
it?

 

[karl lutz]

Let the cows eat it and the chickens will pick it out of the pies and it will be soft and tasty.

 

[Peeper7]

Quote:
Eeewww