My hens have never laid well during the winter. This year, even though I have ALL the hens in the barn, which has night lighting, there are very few eggs. Which a couple of days ago became NO eggs.
I've been feeding Purina Layena from Tractor Supply. First I supplemented with corn in a separate feeder, but when I noticed they were eating mainly the corn, I switched out the corn for some whole oats. Which they mainly scattered on the floor, looking for corn.
My Serbian-American friend Petar is getting better luck with his chickens, most of which he bought from me. He said he sometimes cooks the chicken's grain.
So yesterday I cooked up some grain. The hens loved it--- and showed their love in the form of egg. Today I cooked up more--- this time mainly whole oats. They ate every bit as if they loved it as much as they love corn.
I also put some dried beans in with the whole oats. Cooked, poultry can get nutrition from beans without any problem.
I presoaked the oats & beans overnight and cooked it up in my old rice cooker. I cooked it about an hour and they really liked the result. I noticed one hen picking out the beans.
So I'm planning on cooking more grain for the poultry. If cooking can turn grain I had to buy anyway into something better, why not do it?
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