Warm Oatmeal for Cold Chickens

[Lacy Duckwing]

Has anybody else thought of this?
It has been very cold the past few days and my chickens has been getting cold. So every morning I've been bringing hot oatmeal straight from the stove to my flocks. I have about three different coops of chickens. One is the Main Flock, one is the Bantams, and then there is the latest flock, the Church Birds. I boil four cups of water then add three cups of oatmeal with no salt. Salt is bad for chickens, so I don't give them any. The chickens like their oatmeal a little thick, but not so thick that it is all clumped together. I have three different bowls for each flock. The Bantams get the smallest amount of hot oatmeal. The Main Flock and the Church Birds split the rest with the Church Birds getting a little bit more than the Main Flock. There is eleven Church Birds, ten of the Main Flock, and five Bantams.
The warm oatmeal really warms up the chickens and has been known to help them lay more eggs than they would on a cold day. If you want to make your chickens hot oatmeal boil one cup more of water than oatmeal. Figure out how much your chickens are going to eat of it before it freezes. When the oatmeal is cooked, which it should be cooked on a stove not a microwave, try to bring it out to them as fast as possible. Don't worry about trying to cool it off some, because it will cool off some once it hit the cold air. Sometimes I bring the oatmeal out to the flocks twice a day. Once in the morning after it gets light out and in the early afternoon.
Oatmeal is a really nice warm thing for the chickens that warms their cold bodies up and it is something that they enjoy.

 

[chickencheeper]

Yes, we have been doing that to

 

[Dawnclucks22]

Yes, I have heard of people doing this, and I think it's wonderful that your flocks get some nice hot treats!

 

[Chickens are the best]

My chickens love warm oatmeal!

 

[XanderWiFi]

Just did it today. Seemed to be a hit.

 

[Blooie]

I must confess that I've never done this. Humidity + frigid cold leads to frostbite. Hot oatmeal is steamy in a cold coop and when they stick heads down to eat it that steam gets on their combs and wattles. Then they lift their heads and that wet tissue is immediately exposed to cold air. To me it's always seemed like it is when a few warm bodies get into a cold car and what their moist breath and warmth does to the windows, or when we wet our fingers and stick them in the air to test the winds....but colder. Must be a "me" thing, I think.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

I think how you serve it can prevent problems. A bowl may not be a good idea, but a flat tray like the bottom of a hanging feeder doesn’t seem to get any on my birds, at least not any more than the fermented feed they already eat, which they also enjoy fresh and warm. Oatmeal actually gets a tepid reception with my flock, though it disappears eventually. Mine love cooked plain rice best.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I must confess that I've never done this. Humidity + frigid cold leads to frostbite. Hot oatmeal is steamy in a cold coop and when they stick heads down to eat it that steam gets on their combs and wattles. Then they lift their heads and that wet tissue is immediately exposed to cold air. To me it's always seemed like it is when a few warm bodies get into a cold car and what their moist breath and warmth does to the windows, or when we wet our fingers and stick them in the air to test the winds....but colder. Must be a "me" thing, I think.

Hmm.. I don't think that I really have that problem for the oatmeal tends to cool down some before all of my chickens can get to it. So if there is any steam left coming off the oatmeal it is not enough to cause any frostbite. The most frostbite that I'm seeing on my chickens is from the cold. I've seen it get to -18F. If I don't wear my mittins my hands will get so cold from just bringing the waterers out that my hands will be hurting by the time I get back in. So I'm seeing frostbite is unavoidable, but warming up the chickens with oatmeal is better than them freezing all day. I think you should try giving your chickens.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I've never thought about taking mine anything hot, but they do get room temperature mash a couple of times a day in freezing weather.

Anyway...what piqued my curiosity in this thread is not the hot oatmeal it's the OP's
"church birds"
@Lacy Duckwing do tell....what are church birds?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

My "Church Birds" have one Barred Rock, three EEs, three Black Stars. The two youngest are Douglas' Maine's (EE mix). The two oldest are Silkie mixes. I call them Church Birds because they grew up in a coop that kind of looked like a church. This coop also has a cross on top. Because this coop looks like a church it is called the Church.
The Church Birds are not in this coop rate now for it wouldn't be warm enough for them so they are actually in a pallet hay barn that has been turned into a two sided chicken coop. As soon as the snow melts away the Church Birds should be moving back into the Church.