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What do chickens eat in the winter?

Winter is coming, and you are asking yourself what do chickens eat in the winter?  Wherever you are,  winters can be cold and unpleasant for your chickens,  so we at www.typesofchicken.com decided to help you keep your chicken happy and full during the winter.

If you are enthusiastic about keeping chickens like I am, chances are that you will want to keep your chickens safe and well-fed during the winter.

Keeping your chicken in a good mood during the winter affects also the reproduction process of your chickens. 

How to prepare your chickens for the winter?

The first step is to be ready for your chicken’s need for food – you will need to resupply your food stash, and make some changes in their eating habits.

They will eat a lot more than in the summer and/or spring.

Before the end of the day try to give them some corn, crack it into smaller pieces and give them as their last meal of the day. The process of digestion of the corn is keeping your chickens warm and giving the yolks a rich yellow color.

Corn also gives more nutrition to your chickens than most other chicken foods. Remember that cracked corn isn’t the only chicken food you need to have stashed, but it is one of the best in the winter evenings.
Consider resupplying the grit, because in the winter the ground can get frozen – scratching and picking the ground keeps the chickens moving and movement helps them to keep themselves warm.

Feeding chickens What to feed chickens in the winter What do chickens eat
Via Flickr

The importance of Oatmeal?

When you experience cold winter mornings, one of the best food choices to make for your chickens is oatmeal.

You need to remember to feed them by pouring the oatmeal into a trough and they will peck away at it.

It is important for it to be spread so they don’t fight for it. Something that I always recommend and do for my chickens is to make a selection of things to add to your oatmeal from time to time – you add some high nutritious fruits in small pieces like apples or bananas or even add maple syrup.

It will add some mixture to their winter diet and that ultimately affects the mood of your chickens.

How to know how much food is enough for your chickens:

Feeding chickens What to feed chickens in the winter What do chickens eat
Via Flickr

You need to trust your chickens, their behavior will let you know if they are well fed, if you are feeding them too much they will leave extra food in their pellets and the food will dry out during the night.

The dryness of the food and the fact that it stays uneaten can attract pests and that can be a problem for your chickens.

An interesting fact for you to know is that most of the people who keep chickens say that chickens eat 1.5 times more during the winter.

If your chickens become aggressive and competitive, they start to fight each other over food – that means that you ARE NOT giving them enough food and/or you need to add variety to their diet.

It may take a little while for you to learn how to read your chickens and when that happens you will have no problem with feeding your chickens and keeping them happy and more productive will be easier with time.

The schedule for feeding chickens

Feeding chickens
Via Flickr.com

Start with breakfast around 6 am with layers pellets, it will give your chickens the required amount of nutrition they need and it has a very positive effect on your chickens’ health.

Around 2 pm you will notice a small change in your chickens’ behavior and that means it is time for a snack, give them different vegetables and sometimes mealworms so they will have energy for the rest of their day.

When the cold winter nights start to fall (usually around 4 pm) it is dinner time for your chickens – as I mentioned above try to feed them cracked corn, it is very good for keeping their temperatures.

what to feed chickens in the winter
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12 thoughts on “What do chickens eat in the winter?”

    • The oats don’t need to be cooked; I just pour warm water over them. Use enough water to moisten them, but not so that they’re soupy. Let them cool and bit and then serve to your chickens. Plain oats are fine, but it’s also fun to mix a few things into the oatmeal.

      Reply
      • I add hot pepper flakes cinnamon some rosemary and blueberries they love it. Even a little oregano. All good for them. The hot pepper flakes is a warmer also helps with digestion and keeps peat away from your chickens mites and any intestinal issues

        Reply
  1. Good article and thank you. Wanted to add a note of humor. My girls love their meal worms so much. I find them crowded around my storage bin. By the time I get the lid off some are standing on my feet. It is good to laugh!

    Reply
    • The oats don’t need to be cooked; I just pour warm water over them. Use enough water to moisten them, but not so that they’re soupy. Let them cool and bit and then serve to your chickens. Plain oats are fine, but it’s also fun to mix a few things into the oatmeal.

      Reply
  2. Are you talking about feeding them Oat pellets…??…(seed type)….Or processed Oatmeal…?
    ie…(Whole Oats…like porridge..?)
    Thank you.

    Reply

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