Old timer at the feed store was right about cracked corn

I used to feed my girls only layer pellets and thought cracked corn was just filler. Then this guy Jerry at Tractor Supply in Reno told me to toss a handful of corn in the run an hour before dusk during winter. I figured he was just trying to sell me something but tried it anyway. Now my hens go back to the coop on their own instead of me chasing them around in the dark, and they lay way more consistently when it's cold. Anyone else use cracked corn as a treat to get their flock to roost earlier?

2 comments

2 Comments

james_davis165d ago

Haven't tried corn, but scratch grains work better for us. Hawks watch the ground at dusk though.

hayes.oliver5d ago

Starting with the scratch grains too, since the corn just sits there mocking me while the hawks do their thing. I swear those birds have a schedule better than my mailman, they show up right when the light hits that golden hour and start circling like they're scouting for a dinner reservation. Tossed some cracked corn out last week and the only thing that ate it was my neighbor's dog who thought it was a snack buffet. Guess the hawks prefer their meals with legs, not in grain form.