WHAT, WHEN, and HOW to feed cracked corn?

[L*A*G*]

WHAT, WHEN and HOW to feed cracked corn to a flock of large birds and a rooster?
or should i feed them scratch at all?
books r confusing me that corn is a treet, not feed?

 

[willkatdawson]

cracked corn (scratch) should only be fed when it's cold. I helps the birds stay warm in winter by adding extra calories. I you feed it to them in the summer they can become overweight and overheat. It is a treat and should be given as such but, it is a useful tool when trying to keep them warm on really cold nights.

 

[hobbychick]

I feed cracked corn all year long. I feed layer and corn in the morning and then some layer in the afternoon. I have been doing so for 3 years and have had no problems w/my chickens at all.

Good luck looking for answers!!

 

[jvls1942]

you cannot just give them cracked corn today to keep them warm tonight.. you have to give them some each day to build up the fat reserve they need..

I toss a scoop over the ground even in the summer time for the freerangers.. it is just a treat and it also encourages them to stay close to the house/yard... it is fun to watch how fast they come running..

 

[L*A*G*]

does it cover any nutritoin?

 

[yotetrapper]

If cracked corn is a treat, my chickens must be happy. They're daily feed ratio is a mix I have made at the grain mill. It is 40% cracked corn, 40% oats and 20% lay mash. My chickens have been eating this mix for five years, and are doing wonderful. They also get kitchen scraps, garden scraps, green grass when it's available, and oyster shell. When I butcher, there is no excess fat on them. I guess my chickens didnt read the book that says corn should only be a treat. LOL.

 

[Andora]

I toss a handful or two of cracked corn in their coop everyday so they'll mix up the bedding. My toddler also likes to hand feed it to them when she's out playing. I think as long as you don't have scorching hot weather in the summer and feed tons and tons of cracked corn/scratch then they'll be fine. Bad things start to happen when scratch is their only food, but not when it's thrown in here or there as a treat.

I sometimes also mix a few cup fulls in with their crumbles in the 7 pound feeder...but I've noticed when I do that they will kick out the crumbles just to get to the corn.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Whole corn has more nutrition than cracked. And even the smallest chickens like old english game bantams can eat it whole. Once the corn is cracked, the germ is lost along with the nutrition that the germ has.

 

[sandypaws]

here in the desert, ever tho i freerange the chickens over 1 acer, there is nothing to eat, nothing to peck at.. so i mix the cracked corn with the scratch and thrown it around the yard.. it gives them something to hunt for, peck at... they have lay crumble in bowls around the coops, near the water.. but the scratch/corn they have to look for...

 

[Momma_Cluck]

???Whole corn???

I may be wrong, but everything I've read says no whole corn, since they can't process it in their crops due to the thick shell (germ) on it...

cracking it is supposed to be more nutritious-even for humans, as the germ (covering) is broken open and the interior of the corn exposed, which is where the most nutrition is.
The germ is pure fiber, and the whole kernels often "pass thru" undigested..

Sweet corn (fresh) is different if on the cob, since it gets broke open by pecking, or by cutting it off the cob... but whole dry corn is pulled from the cob, and the shell stays intact....

All the Mash sold in our area (4 different suppliers) is a good part cracked or milled corn.....????