[F1schuey]

I have been advised to start increasing the protein for my birds for winter and someone mentioned also giving them Cooked Porridge to help them maintain their heat.  Does anyone have any advice on if this is ok, or any other good things to feed chooks as its getting colder and in the winter months??

[compostqueen]

I used to have porridge most mornings with my chooks during the winter months. They enjoy the warmth from it very much and it's good for them but don't sweeten it    Make sure it's not too hot though as they have delicate mouths just like us. Just make it up with water though, not milk

We have a thread on here about winter for hens so I would advise you go and have a good read of that as it's full of tips about food and shelter for them.

[Casey76]

All hens need is their layers pellets.

If they need more calories to counteract the ones they burn keeping warm, then they'll eat more.

Feeding hot porridge is anthropromorphising and is done to make us feel better, not hens.

Even if there is snow on the ground, if you pick a hen up the feet will still remain warm, and no hot porridge required

[F1schuey]

Lovely I will look for that thread on winter

[compostqueen]

Keeping your girls dry and sheltered from strong winds and wet weather, whilst still maintaining ventilation and access to outdoors will be appreciated by them. They can cope with being wet but they don't like being cold and wet. They lose energy trying to keep warm and lay eggs at the same time so we have to coddle them a little during winter, which in the past few years, have been long

[Helenaj]

I used to make up a warm mash with 4 part layers to 1 part porridge oats in the Winter only and they did seem to appreciate it (or as Joyfull says, it made me feel better watching them eat it!). I never did a higher ratio than that as it's important that they get their ration of pellets for the day.

I only adopted this method as my girls were not big fans of the feeders with rain hats and my smaller girls didn't seem to be eating enough. For feeder "treat" trays, I bought the 60cm rectangular plant drainers @50p each from my local pound store and these have stood me in good stead since. They are also very easy to clean in hot soapy water.

With the trays being long and low, everyone could get a chance at feeding from it and they are easy to pick up and stack away when not in use.

[Lindeggs]

I have been advised to start increasing the protein for my birds for winter and someone mentioned also giving them Cooked Porridge to help them maintain their heat.  Does anyone have any advice on if this is ok, or any other good things to feed chooks as its getting colder and in the winter months??

You mention two different things here:
1) Increasing their protein
2) Giving them warm porridge.

Porridge made of oats is going to have less protein in it than their regular layer mash/pellets.  So by giving them porridge you will be decreasing their protein, not increasing it.

You can achieve a warm porridge and still maintain their protein by making a warm mash out of their staple food.  Just add some warm water to a small amount of mash or pellets to soften it.  If you want to get more creative you could add a teaspoon of sunflower seeds per chicken, or similar tiny amounts of other high-protein ingredients.

Out of interest, what is the protein % in their current staple feed?  I have been feeding a 16% protein feed but I will soon be changing that to a 18% protein feed as my pullets seem to do better on the higher protein diet.

[compostqueen]

Of course, porridge is just an extra, not instead of layers mash or pellets 

[wildwitchy]

In the colder months I've always fed my chickens porridge with a couple of eggs plus the shells mixed in. they go balmy for it. They wait at the gate around 4pm for it.

The protein level will be increased by the eggs plus they get the shells back. A friend who's kept poultry for years also feeds his birds hardboiled eggs if he's got a glut of eggs. 

Sometimes if i've got a glut I give the hens whipped up eggs which they love.

[Craig69]

Mine have porridge in the winter & go mad for it.
This is given as a treat in the afternoon.
Cooked Corn on the Cob they also have, leaving a bit of the water it was cooked in, in the bottom of the bowl.

[hillfooter]

The following is an extract from "Small Poultry Flock Nutrition"
B.L. Damron and D.R. Sloan.  A University of Florida paper

"The most common mistake is using the wrong
feed. Do not give your flock scratch feed or table
scraps. Do not mix a complete commercial feed with
scratch grains. Most commercial feeds are designed
to meet all of the bird's nutrient requirements when
fed as the sole source of nutrition. Blending with
grains dilutes or reduces the level of nutrition and
birds will not grow well, may reduce egg production
and produce eggs with thin shells. They may also be
less resistant to disease, or pick up and eat their
feathers in an effort to offset nutrient deficiencies.
Feather picking can lead to bleeding, sores, infections
or even death.
Commercially prepared feeds are also designed
to be available for consumption at all times.
Adequate feeder capacity should be provided so that a
continuous supply of feed is available.
Ration-feeding of these diets can, again, result in
reduced growth, egg production and eggshell
strength."

I tend to agree with Casey & Lindeggs here.  Porridge is essentially a treat feed and there's no great harm in feeding it ocassionally maybe once a week in an evening before roost.  Just because bids love a particular food doesn't make it healthy.  Kids love sweets and beefburgers but over eating such treats lead to obesity and unhealthy kids.  The point about feeding treats in an evening it has less displacing effect on their staple balanced diet.  Certainly feeding porridge every morning is very dubious. 

We are also over influenced by the food industry into thinking such food is warming because of TV advertising.  The feeling of warm we might get from porridge is due to the heat contained in hot porridge and it's bulk makes us feel fuller.  Most grain feeds are hard to digest and so yeild up their energy slowly so are less warming though longer lasting which is usually considered helpful at night which is another reason to not feed such food until  the evening.

HF

[Peckster]

I give my hens porridge every morning. I put a bowl of porridge down and also a bowl of wet mash down and the porridge bowl is all gone in no time. I dont mean to be blunt but everybody gives their hens different things to eat and I personally dont think oats mixed with hot water is going to do them any harm. My hens love it and are all in good health. 

[MandaTK]

I fed my chickens porridge and warm layers mash (in separate bowls) all of last winter when it was so cold and my girls still layed eggs every day when other friends chickens were not laying!  As long as you make sure they get their mash/pellets its okay.  works for mine!

[Anndee]

Can I make porridge using up some chick crumbs I have left over, mixed in with the porridge oats. will that be ok?

[hillfooter]

Can I make porridge using up some chick crumbs I have left over, mixed in with the porridge oats. will that be ok?

Yes but for the chickens chick crumbs are probably best.
HF