Whole grains

[eworms]

At what age can chickens start having whole uncracked grains? Or is it better to continue cracking them? I bake sourdough bread and mill my own flour so I have a variety of grains to work with.

I mainly plan to use the grains to keep them tolerant of me as I have a couple of flighty breeds so think of it like a treat. This could be wheat, rice, barley, oats, rye, etc. All those are pretty similar in size. Corn tends to be bigger. Should I keep cracking that longer?

And finally, can they have fermented whole kernels younger or older than dry?

 

[nuthatched]

About 4-6 with grit access.
No oats, they aren't great for chickens and maybe sure whatever you giving isn't more than 10% of their diet.

 

[eworms]

About 4-6 with grit access.
No oats, they aren't great for chickens and maybe sure whatever you giving isn't more than 10% of their diet.

Thanks. I'm thinking to scatter a fistful or two for 26 birds each day so it'll be nowhere near 10% of their diet. My birds are 7 weeks so that works. I'll leave the oats in the kitchen.
Should I let them grow more before giving whole corn?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

About 4-6 with grit access.
No oats, they aren't great for chickens and maybe sure whatever you giving isn't more than 10% of their diet.

4 - 6 ... what? Days, weeks, months? Years? Okay, now I'm just being silly!

But @eworms, before you begin giving your chicks anything other than chick or starter feed, get them started on chick grit for a day or two. Either put it in a bowl or sprinkle it on the floor of their brooder so they can scratch and peck it up for themselves. They will need grit all their lives. Not oyster shell, that's for when they start laying. Crushed granite grit.

 

[eworms]

4 - 6 ... what? Days, weeks, months? Years? Okay, now I'm just being silly!

But @eworms, before you begin giving your chicks anything other than chick or starter feed, get them started on chick grit for a day or two. Either put it in a bowl or sprinkle it on the floor of their brooder so they can scratch and peck it up for themselves. They will need grit all their lives. Not oyster shell, that's for when they start laying. Crushed granite grit.

haha thanks. Down here in Te-hot the highs are in the 70s now. Even if we do get another freeze before March, I can turn the brooder lamp back on in their coop. As far as grit goes, they've been in the coop for a week now so I'm starting to let them out into a fenced yard around it.

I've been giving them cracked grains occasionally for a while now along with a clod of grass and dirt from the yard for grit. When I bake, I typically mill the grains all the way to flour so cracking the grains adds a step.

 

[nuthatched]

Thanks. I'm thinking to scatter a fistful or two for 26 birds each day so it'll be nowhere near 10% of their diet. My birds are 7 weeks so that works. I'll leave the oats in the kitchen.
Should I let them grow more before giving whole corn?

I'd pass on the whole corn entirely, honestly.

4 - 6 ... what? Days, weeks, months? Years?

Weeks.

 

[Yardmom]

Just curious are you feeding a commercial feed as well? Commercial feeds are made up of wheats, corns, and yes some oats. The right mix of grains with added proteins and some vitamins and minerals is a great diet for chickens. I have not fed this way myself, but poultry raising guides that predate commercial feed give guide lines for how to feed using grains etc

 

[eworms]

Just curious are you feeding a commercial feed as well? Commercial feeds are made up of wheats, corns, and yes some oats. The right mix of grains with added proteins and some vitamins and minerals is a great diet for chickens. I have not fed this way myself, but poultry raising guides that predate commercial feed give guide lines for how to feed using grains etc

I am. For now, the grains are just a treat so they'll tolerate me being around. In the future, as they get on free range more, I may experiment with a home blend of grains as their regular feed. I'm not there yet though.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I am. For now, the grains are just a treat so they'll tolerate me being around. In the future, as they get on free range more, I may experiment with a home blend of grains as their regular feed. I'm not there yet though.

Look for threads by @U_Stormcrow on the subject, he's one of our experts on chicken nutrition and has done tons of research on the subject.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Look for threads by @U_Stormcrow on the subject, he's one of our experts on chicken nutrition and has done tons of research on the subject.

I'm no expert, just a reasonably well read hobbyist.

and I don't feed whole grains personally, so couldn't make a specific age generalization. Do be certain you have grit available for them so they can grind those grains if the original poster isn't going to continue to pre grind, and yes, if the grains are fermented, it will soften and "crack" the grains - but keeping grit available remains inexpensive insurance, and thus is recommended.