Can I give 6 week old chicks scratch?

[ChickForLife]

I have heard you need to use something like scratch in deep litter, which I am trying out as the chicks first stay outside, to mix it up. Can I use scratch at this age or should use something else?

 

[floppysquirrel04]

Scratch is chicken junk food.
Why would you need to use it in deep litter? I guess maybe if you want the chickens to turn it themselves, but then you would have to turn it again to hide scratch in it, which seems counter productive because you don’t even need to turn it more than every few months. Some people don’t even turn it at all.
I would not put food in their bedding. I would not even feed them scratch, just the crumble they are on.

 

[ChickForLife]

Okay, thank you. Is there anything I can use to turn it or should I not turn it?

 

[floppysquirrel04]

some people do, it depends on how easy it is in your set up. If you do every 3-5 months seems reasonable. If you don’t turn it regularly, then every 6-9 months turn it and then remove half of it so you can add more

 

[floppysquirrel04]

You can turn it with a shovel or a pitchfork

 

[ChickForLife]

Thank you, this was very helpful!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Eh I just use a rake or hoe if I really need to turn it. I mostly leave it alone. Even if the litter looks packed it still drains well, so no real reason to mess with it. The chickens will pick random spots to dig up and "turn" for me.

 

[ChickForLife]

Eh I just use a rake or hoe if I really need to turn it. I mostly leave it alone. Even if the litter looks packed it still drains well, so no real reason to mess with it. The chickens will pick random spots to dig up and "turn" for me.

How often do you rake it?

 

[rosemarythyme]

How often do you rake it?

Once or twice a year maybe? Depends on how uneven it gets... the chickens tend to kick the litter all towards the same area so I get higher spots and low spots, and I rake to even it back out so I don't fall on my face out there.