Friday, January 9, 2009

Providing Calories for those Cold Winter Days


Love that Oatmeal

This time of year I keep my aviary about 60 degrees to try to discourage the hens from laying too early. I like to begin breeding later so that when the first chicks hatch it is already daylight savings time!

With the cool aviary temperature, my birds need extra calories just to keep them warm! So at this time of year, I add steel cut oats to my seed mix and also Old-fashioned Oatmeal. The birds like both but they really prefer the white oatmeal flakes. Oats are not only good for energy and nutrition but also it helps cut down the number of birds with pasted vents due too rich foods.

Extra calories is sometimes provided by feeding oily seeds. These are also higher in protein and will give birds the message to start thinking more about breeding. I will wait till I start the water soluble vitamin E in the water to increase the oily seeds especially sunflower chips or pieces.

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