My definition of scratch is any feed mixture that is made up of small particulate cracked or intact seeds. In most instances, but not all, corn is a major component. Scratches are not nutritionally complete. They are not a formulation designed in themselves to meet requirments for any type of nutrients. In particular, scratches are not supplemented with vitamins or minerals. First and formost scratch is a source of energy be it from the carbohydrate (major), protein (lesser) or fat (minor) components. Scratch does contain protein but levels are low and amino acid profiles are not optimal in respect to what a chicken requires.
In respect to value of energy supplementation, keepers of poultry in more extreme northern climates need to take energy intake of their birds to be an important consideration that can be varied in respect to protein and other nutrient requirments. First always meet protein, vitamin, mineral and fatty acid requirments which is most reliably done through quality complete formulated diets. After nutrients required for incorporation into tissues and maintenance are met, then energy can at times be treated as a diverging issue, especially as stress associated with decreasing temperatures increases. My logic is that non-energy nutrient requirments (protein and like) are relatively constant in respect to weight and production mode of bird. I give a fixed ration of high quality fed to meet that need. As cold stress increases I respond by increasing supplementation with energy dense feedstuffs like mixtures of scratch and BOSS. You can compensate in a similar manner by simply increasing quantities of your high quality complete diet where feed regulate their intake based on energy requirment at the time. In my situation, birds can double feed intake when it gets really cold. When using scratch to compensate for increasing intake, feed cost need not double. From what I have seen, chickens will target the high quality feed first and then go after scratch which I make them invest more effort into feeding upon by dispersing it more about on ground. If they are treating the scratch like candy, then it makes more difficult for the birds to swamp their overall nutrient intake with relatively empty calories. Scratch is also better suited for dispersal on ground, particularly moist ground. The seed / grain particles do not get soft and mushy, rather they retain their particulate nature that chickens look for when scratching about for food.
In respect to value of energy supplementation, keepers of poultry in more extreme northern climates need to take energy intake of their birds to be an important consideration that can be varied in respect to protein and other nutrient requirments. First always meet protein, vitamin, mineral and fatty acid requirments which is most reliably done through quality complete formulated diets. After nutrients required for incorporation into tissues and maintenance are met, then energy can at times be treated as a diverging issue, especially as stress associated with decreasing temperatures increases. My logic is that non-energy nutrient requirments (protein and like) are relatively constant in respect to weight and production mode of bird. I give a fixed ration of high quality fed to meet that need. As cold stress increases I respond by increasing supplementation with energy dense feedstuffs like mixtures of scratch and BOSS. You can compensate in a similar manner by simply increasing quantities of your high quality complete diet where feed regulate their intake based on energy requirment at the time. In my situation, birds can double feed intake when it gets really cold. When using scratch to compensate for increasing intake, feed cost need not double. From what I have seen, chickens will target the high quality feed first and then go after scratch which I make them invest more effort into feeding upon by dispersing it more about on ground. If they are treating the scratch like candy, then it makes more difficult for the birds to swamp their overall nutrient intake with relatively empty calories. Scratch is also better suited for dispersal on ground, particularly moist ground. The seed / grain particles do not get soft and mushy, rather they retain their particulate nature that chickens look for when scratching about for food.
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