Corn and wheat grain look completely natural, so they must be good for you and your pets. Right?
Many people call me to ask if they could forego giving their chickens pellets in favour of corn and wheat, thinking that they are more healthy and possibly cheaper.
But why are so many people so keen to avoid pellets?
Pellets are compressed crushed grain mixed with proteins, minerals, amino acids, grit and vitamins. There is nothing unbalanced or unnatural about pellets other than that they have been shaped to keep all the mix together rather than nutritious bits falling through to the bottom of the bag.
There is a lot of good reasons not to abandon bagged mixes like pellets.
So what will happen if the hens are fed on a corn and/or wheat diet?
Size
The size of dried corn and grains of wheat pose a problem.
Hens can digest a certain amount of these whole grains but they are certainly not their favourite to tackle.
The size matters because the grain has to pass from the crop (located at the front of the chicken's chest) and then into the gizzard to be broken down. The larger the grain, the more difficult it is to empty the crop efficiently.
Scatter grain mixes, such as Red Hen Free Range Layer provides a mixture of grain sizes. Watching the chickens eat a serving of that bagged mix, you will notice that they have their favourites, leaving some grains to the very last.
So there seems to be some benefit to variety in size and grain options that satisfied the poultry palette as well as being able to choose which grains they would prefer to eat.
Cracking, grinding, milling, crushing the grains not only aids to the ease of consumption of their food but also enables easier digestion to satisfy the hens quicker too.
Corn
Corn can increase the body heat of chickens. Increased heat can also set off broodiness in breeds that are very prone to broodiness. This heat production means that it is also advisable to cut out or reduce corn during the summer months.
A diet high in corn also colours the flesh and skin yellow.
Corn is also a fattener, high in calories. A diet high in corn can result in fatty liver and obese chicken.
Fat chickens don't lay.
Although corn appears to look natural, corn is rarely organic or free of genetic modification.
In general though, corn-fed chickens do tend to grow faster and bigger compared to free-ranging hens. This is based on shed feeding where no other food sources can be accessed.
Corn is too low in fatty and amino acids, vitamins and minerals for a chicken to thrive on for the long term.
Corn-fed chickens are also more susceptible to being contaminated with grain pesticides, which can build-up in the fatty tissues of animals.
Wheat
Many of my clients often ask me why their hens will not eat whole wheat grains.
More often than not, whatever is thrown out to them ends up sprouting on the ground instead.
And that's the key.
During winter is the best time to make use of the grains of wheat by sprouting them in a tray. In fact, any time of the year.
This can be done in a standard seed tray from a hardware/garden shop (NO soil or potting mix required). Allow the greens to sprout and feed this 'mat' to the hens as a lovely healthy treat to help keep the girls laying through the cold months.
There are a number of BENEFITS to sprouting grain:
HOW TO SPROUT GRAINS - tutorial from The Chicken Chick
Many people call me to ask if they could forego giving their chickens pellets in favour of corn and wheat, thinking that they are more healthy and possibly cheaper.
But why are so many people so keen to avoid pellets?
Pellets are compressed crushed grain mixed with proteins, minerals, amino acids, grit and vitamins. There is nothing unbalanced or unnatural about pellets other than that they have been shaped to keep all the mix together rather than nutritious bits falling through to the bottom of the bag.
There is a lot of good reasons not to abandon bagged mixes like pellets.
So what will happen if the hens are fed on a corn and/or wheat diet?
Size
The size of dried corn and grains of wheat pose a problem.
Hens can digest a certain amount of these whole grains but they are certainly not their favourite to tackle.
The size matters because the grain has to pass from the crop (located at the front of the chicken's chest) and then into the gizzard to be broken down. The larger the grain, the more difficult it is to empty the crop efficiently.
Scatter grain mixes, such as Red Hen Free Range Layer provides a mixture of grain sizes. Watching the chickens eat a serving of that bagged mix, you will notice that they have their favourites, leaving some grains to the very last.
So there seems to be some benefit to variety in size and grain options that satisfied the poultry palette as well as being able to choose which grains they would prefer to eat.
Cracking, grinding, milling, crushing the grains not only aids to the ease of consumption of their food but also enables easier digestion to satisfy the hens quicker too.
Corn
Corn can increase the body heat of chickens. Increased heat can also set off broodiness in breeds that are very prone to broodiness. This heat production means that it is also advisable to cut out or reduce corn during the summer months.
A diet high in corn also colours the flesh and skin yellow.
Corn is also a fattener, high in calories. A diet high in corn can result in fatty liver and obese chicken.
Fat chickens don't lay.
Although corn appears to look natural, corn is rarely organic or free of genetic modification.
In general though, corn-fed chickens do tend to grow faster and bigger compared to free-ranging hens. This is based on shed feeding where no other food sources can be accessed.
Corn is too low in fatty and amino acids, vitamins and minerals for a chicken to thrive on for the long term.
Corn-fed chickens are also more susceptible to being contaminated with grain pesticides, which can build-up in the fatty tissues of animals.
Wheat
Many of my clients often ask me why their hens will not eat whole wheat grains.
More often than not, whatever is thrown out to them ends up sprouting on the ground instead.
And that's the key.
During winter is the best time to make use of the grains of wheat by sprouting them in a tray. In fact, any time of the year.
This can be done in a standard seed tray from a hardware/garden shop (NO soil or potting mix required). Allow the greens to sprout and feed this 'mat' to the hens as a lovely healthy treat to help keep the girls laying through the cold months.
There are a number of BENEFITS to sprouting grain:
- Provides entertainment to help fight off boredom
- The vitamins, minerals and proteins of the wheat becomes more easier to absorb
- Sprouted grain is loaded with chlorophyll and beta-carotene which makes egg yolks more darker in colour and more nutritious
- Your chickens will actually eat it! In the wild, they would even scavenge for it.
HOW TO SPROUT GRAINS - tutorial from The Chicken Chick
Quality of Meat and Eggs
In general, grain-fed chicken meat is lower in omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, magnesium, calcium and potassium compared with free-range chicken meat. Feeding chickens primarily corn produces an imbalance of omega-3 fats to omega-6 fats in their eggs. Healthy ratios should be between 1:2 and 1:4, but corn-fed chicken eggs have a ratio of up to 1:20. Omega-3 fats are important for cardiovascular health because they reduce inflammatory reactions, but too many omega-6 fats negate their benefit. Additionally, free-range eggs are often higher in vitamin E and beta-carotene.
Corn-fed chickens are also more susceptible to being contaminated with grain pesticides, which can build-up in the fatty tissues of animals.
Balance
The important thing is to remember to give your hens a balanced diet and that they are Omnivores, requiring access to protein such as bugs, grubs, spiders and worms to eat as well as dietary supplements especially during the moulting season to regrow their feathers.
Even if chickens were running wild, free to find their own food sources, those sources would keep changing due to seasons and what is available in their area. It wouldn't be the same one or two grains alone. Keep that in mind that chickens are natural meat scavengers, which plays a strong role in their ability to get protein into their diet. Many chickens will kill a mouse that comes into their yard, not just for sport but for food.
An unbalanced diet can result in under weight or over weight hens as well as a lack of egg laying.
Pellets Are Not The Only Answer
Besides pellets there are a whole host of other options and new fodder mixes are often being innovated.
You could try:
In general, grain-fed chicken meat is lower in omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, magnesium, calcium and potassium compared with free-range chicken meat. Feeding chickens primarily corn produces an imbalance of omega-3 fats to omega-6 fats in their eggs. Healthy ratios should be between 1:2 and 1:4, but corn-fed chicken eggs have a ratio of up to 1:20. Omega-3 fats are important for cardiovascular health because they reduce inflammatory reactions, but too many omega-6 fats negate their benefit. Additionally, free-range eggs are often higher in vitamin E and beta-carotene.
Corn-fed chickens are also more susceptible to being contaminated with grain pesticides, which can build-up in the fatty tissues of animals.
Balance
The important thing is to remember to give your hens a balanced diet and that they are Omnivores, requiring access to protein such as bugs, grubs, spiders and worms to eat as well as dietary supplements especially during the moulting season to regrow their feathers.
Even if chickens were running wild, free to find their own food sources, those sources would keep changing due to seasons and what is available in their area. It wouldn't be the same one or two grains alone. Keep that in mind that chickens are natural meat scavengers, which plays a strong role in their ability to get protein into their diet. Many chickens will kill a mouse that comes into their yard, not just for sport but for food.
An unbalanced diet can result in under weight or over weight hens as well as a lack of egg laying.
Pellets Are Not The Only Answer
Besides pellets there are a whole host of other options and new fodder mixes are often being innovated.
You could try:
- Red Hen 17 (crumble)
- Red Hen Free Range Layer (assorted whole grains & seeds balanced with vitamins and minerals)
- Barastoc Top Layer Crumbles
- Barastoc Darling Downs Layer
- Barastoc Top Layer Mash (crushed grain)
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