Whole corn and other grains

[mo]

so A buddy just dropped off a bunch of organic dry whole corn- like 7 5 gal pails. is it ok to feed, or do I need to grind it?

also got whole oats, barley, rice, wheat,and millet.

I imagine the rice should be cooked, then fed?

it is all surplus from an armageddon Y2K warehouse which is 10+ yrs old.

It is mostly organic, and I am totally happy with it- am I gonna have issues with the birds/ eggs? i am thinking of dropping the layers mesh and feeding this stuff, 'cause I have a pile, and there is about a semi-truck load of it available.

what else should I supplement? calcium and some salt?

I can have as much as I can store, as the facility it is at will not be available much longer, so I really want to use it.

thanks.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

If your birds are caged then I would advise to stick with the mash but they will do ok on that. If there free range then I would use the grains. But at the very least soak the rice. I also don't think there is any need to grind it up unless the birds are young.

I wouldn't think twice about eating it my self. Ask the "end of the world" people, it keeps a lot longer than that.


You could sprout some an add some type of protein to make it more balanced.

 

[digitS']

Quite a windfall, Mo.

Take a look at this "choice feeding" information from a government poultry scientist in Manitoba.

Here's something on using "scratch grains" in substantial quantities from West Virginia University.

Here's something of a problem with using either approach from the Manitoba folks, "Purchase a supplement designed to be mixed with grain or grain and limestone to provide a complete laying hen diet. A supplement formulated in this manner will contain in the range of 25% to 40% protein. A grower supplement may be used prior to the start of egg production but use a laying hen supplement once the birds begin egg production."

Well, are you going to have that supplement specially made at a mill??

West Virginia is a little more lenient in what they consider necessary, "If scratch grains are used, they should be fed in conjunction with a mash containing a higher level of protein than that required when an all-mash feed is used."

Well, that might be easy enuf since turkey feed is about 24% protein. I'm a little concerned that WVU may be just a little too optimistic on diluting formulas without decreasing productivity of the birds.

You probably have a number of mills in your area that will custom mix feed. If you don't have the number of birds sufficient to take a bulk order this outfit not far to the south of the Twin Cities may have a supplement in stock: Hy View Feeds.

About the age of the grain - I don't know. And, I don't know about feeding whole corn to chickens altho' I know it is done. I bet it has a lot to do with kernel size.

Best of luck,

Steve

 

[mo]

well, these birds are full grown layers, have free range of the 40x80 backyard, and I have been giving them some whole corn for a few days, they seem alright with it. none have dropped dead w/ a crop full of corn, anyways


Good reading there, and thanks for the link to Hy View- I have worked down that way, infact last friday I was only 15 miles from there, and I grew up not more than 40 miles away. I may have to call them up.

I know wheat has protein, and I bet millet does, too, but i reckon they need a lil more than that.

My sisters BF is a vet from the U of M and he says they'd be fine w/ some soy added in. must be for the protein.

I guess for the time being, I will be buying another bag of layers mash- it is cheep enough for 3 birds. but I haven't found a local source that carries organic feed for them yet, and about 80% of what our family eats is organic, so it seems kinda silly to be feeding the birds cargill mash.

And I reckon some of the food will make it to our table- it is not moldy or anything, and was packed in nitrogen and sealed 5 gal pails. and right now I have 11 pails of it.


anyone know how to make a mill?? or where to find a cheep one?

my Dad's got one on the farm, might have to load up the greasecar and go for a drive.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

all that stuff is fine for treats but don't make that their only source of protein; it's not high enough content.

 

[txchickie]

I would definently feed it. Not as a main part of their diet, but I think it would be an excellent supplement.


And I would think that cracked corn would be best? Those whole kernels just seem so big! I would also cook the rice.

 

[Leah-yes I know I'm crazy]

Try to talk to someone at your local feed mill. The kind of place where they have silo's and heavy equipment. They usually sell all the components for good layer mash etc... There are a lot of farmers who will bring in several tons of their own corn, oats, wheat, soy beans...whatever, and then buy the difference of what they need to go with it and have it ground there. It can be done.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

If you grind it up I would do it your self as you need it. A good table top grinder ant cheep but it ant cost prohibitive ether. Hole grains keep for years but if you grind it up then the time it takes for them to go bad stops being measured in years an drops to weeks.

http://www.aaoobfoods.com/graingrinders.htm


Hole grains are how they eat them in nature. They have there own grinders.

 

[moenmitz]

Lucky you! We feed our chickens whole oats & wheat, mixed with medium ground corn and an organic base mix. They do wonderful on it. We get our base mix from www.bluestemorganic.com -runs about $58 for a 60 lb bag, which makes 400 lbs of feed.

As for grinding- I think it depends on what they are used to- ours have no problem stripping a whole ear of dried corn and digesting it, we just buy some emdium ground corn from the mill because it helps the base mix "stick" a little better, ratehr than sinking to the bottom of the feed can.