Winter diet

[mum of 4]

Hi everyone,
do chickens need a different diet over the winter? I have read somewhere they need oats at night?
Mine are on mash (it slows them down eating so less time to be naughty!!) and they free range on the 2 days I don't work and at the weekend.
Anything else they should have now it is colder?
Thanks

 

[chrismahon]

Hello Mum pod 4. I was told to give them wheat in the evening as it is high on carbohydrate and digests slowly over the long cold night so they keep feeding and warm all through it. However I haven't tried it as ours are fed ad-lib, so they pig out anyway and have huge crops that last all night.

 

[foxy]

Much the same as Chris, just a little wheat in the afternoons on very cold days, and I add a drizzle of cod liver oil twice a week to their feed> CLO is full of the minerals and vitamins that can run low this time of year.

 

[Marigold]

Its important to ensure they have a chance to get a full crop before going to roost. In the depth of winter they have to spend 15-16 hours in the coop with no food, so if they can have a good feed before bed it does help them through the cold nights. I give mine a warm mash about half an hour before roosting time - I just add warm water to some pellets and add a few sunflower seeds and a bit of mixed corn. I serve it on a large plate and they all gather round and eat greedily. When its very cold, the warmth helps them because it goes in at body temperature or a bit above, so they don't have to use any energy warming it up in their bodies. The water in the mash also helps to keep them hydrated when the drinker tends to freeze, or to be unappetisingly cold.
Also, of course, providing liquid water is vitally important. I take the drinker indoors at night, refill it to keep it from freezing overnight, and then take it down as soon as they will be getting up and in need of drink and food. You can get electric heating pads which go under the drinker, if you have a supply to your run.