Oats, corn question

[horsechick]

Hi,
I am wondering in simple terms here, if you can feed chickens oats and corn instead of buying the processed feed from a manufacturer?
We have horses too and thought we might be able to feed all of our animals using "real" grains instead of processed or extruded pellets, etc.
Any thoughts or help?
Thank you

 

[debbie.h]

I've been feeding mine whole grains since they were 3 months. I won't buy the pellets anymore because they don't eat them. Big waste

 

[Tiramisu]

As long as you do the right mixture that give them the nutrients they need. There are several threads on here about peoples own recipes and good sites to use. Here is a recent one https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=305649

 

[Mrs.Puff]

Straight out oats and corn won't give them all the nutrients they need unless you have them free ranging and they are getting plenty of greens, bugs etc. Plus they will need calcium supplement (oyster shell) b/c they won't get it from the feed.

Too much corn makes for fat chickens, and fat chickens are not good layers.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

If they're free-ranging and their pasture is good then some times you can get by with just feeding whole grains and maybe some oyster shell.

The problem is that their range is not always going to be good such as from about mid-fall to mid-spring (depending on where you live). During those periods egg production is likely to plummet because just corn and oats is not nutritionally complete and they're not able to make up for what it lacks from what they are able to forage.

What I do is to hang a feeder of a 20% protein complete feed and another feeder of mixed grain. When range is good they eat less of the complete ration and more of the grain. When it's bad they eat about a fifty/fifty mix. Egg production stays pretty good year round once I have allowed for changing light conditions.

.....Alan.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Dup post.

.....Alan.