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Sorry, this is not good advice. They basically need the same feed in summer as winter. A good regular meal at bedtime is good but it doesn't need to be warm and it shouldn't be just corn. Corn is chicken candy and has much less nutritive value than regular feed. It is a myth that corn keeps them warm; food keeps them warm, good food.
If your hens are of laying age and laying they should be on layer feed. If they are too young to lay they should be on a feed like grower or flock raiser. You can also feed a flock raiser type feed and offer oyster shell separately if they are laying or of laying age.
It is not a myth about corn keeping birds warmer. Watch wild waterfowl, especially geese. They will flock to corn fields during cold westher and right before a long flight. On warmer days without any planned migration they will hit pastures, short cut alfalfa, bean fields and other crop choices. Of course the wild ones like corn a lot but will really target corn when cold. The exception is snow geese. They like corn but prefer soybeans and winter wheat primarily because they are grubbers and enjoy the dried roots of mature soybeans and of course the young winter wheat shoots.
Corn has carbs and that is the key to warmth. There is several foods that will boost metabolism such as oatmeal and hot sauce. I would give chickens oatmeal, but not hot sauce.
jaj121159,
Some of the feeding choice changes maybe due to birds stocking up on energy (stored as fat) for a prolonged flight, not so much for keeping warm in short term. Another variable is how difficult is to to grub frozen ground for tubers and like compared to going after corn above ground. Of the forage choices your waterfowl have, corn maybe the best option they have, but may not be best option possible. I suspect the birds target other feeds items so overal intake approximates ideal.
Sorry, this is not good advice. They basically need the same feed in summer as winter. A good regular meal at bedtime is good but it doesn't need to be warm and it shouldn't be just corn. Corn is chicken candy and has much less nutritive value than regular feed. It is a myth that corn keeps them warm; food keeps them warm, good food.
If your hens are of laying age and laying they should be on layer feed. If they are too young to lay they should be on a feed like grower or flock raiser. You can also feed a flock raiser type feed and offer oyster shell separately if they are laying or of laying age.
It is not a myth about corn keeping birds warmer. Watch wild waterfowl, especially geese. They will flock to corn fields during cold westher and right before a long flight. On warmer days without any planned migration they will hit pastures, short cut alfalfa, bean fields and other crop choices. Of course the wild ones like corn a lot but will really target corn when cold. The exception is snow geese. They like corn but prefer soybeans and winter wheat primarily because they are grubbers and enjoy the dried roots of mature soybeans and of course the young winter wheat shoots.
Corn has carbs and that is the key to warmth. There is several foods that will boost metabolism such as oatmeal and hot sauce. I would give chickens oatmeal, but not hot sauce.
jaj121159,
Some of the feeding choice changes maybe due to birds stocking up on energy (stored as fat) for a prolonged flight, not so much for keeping warm in short term. Another variable is how difficult is to to grub frozen ground for tubers and like compared to going after corn above ground. Of the forage choices your waterfowl have, corn maybe the best option they have, but may not be best option possible. I suspect the birds target other feeds items so overal intake approximates ideal.
