⠀ Winter feeding

[Trish44]

What is best to feed in cold climates in winter for optimum health? I feed fermented feed, should I also supplement with extra protein such as sunflower seeds?

 

[DrMikelleRoeder]

It depends on the composition of your fermented feed. The nutritional need that increases the most in winter is the need for energy -- animals expend a considerable amount of energy to stay warm. They usually accomplish this by simply eating more, but if their feed is already low in energy, then they may also need an additional high-energy feed to get them through the season without weight loss. Sunflower seeds have a lot of fat, which is an excellent energy source, as well as a good amount of protein. It certainly won't hurt to include them in the birds' diet, but you want to avoid feeding too much of any one additional feed as the birds may then eat less of the feed that is fortified with the necessary vitamins and minerals. If your birds are doing well on the fermented feed, then I would treat the sunflower seeds as a treat and feed them at no more than 10% of the daily ration. That will add some extra energy without disrupting the nutrient profile of the remainder of their ration.

 

[Trish44]

Thanks for your reply, that sounds like a good plan.