can I give scratch at 7wks?

[greytmommy]

title says it all!

also, is feeding ur flock really that omplicated? My chicken book talked about scratch plus mash and making sure the protein level is a certainamount, ect. Is it really that confusing?

 

[Ariel301]

You can give them some, you just need to be sure they are getting enough nutrients--protein, etc. Scratch is fairly low in protein, but you can feed other things to make up for it. If you're giving them scratch, they need grit also.

It seems like everyone wants to make chickens too complicated these days...when I first got chickens years ago, we fed them scratch, and nothing else, and they laid great. There was no such thing as layer feed, if we went to the feed store and ordered "chicken food", they'd bring out bags of scratch.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Quote:
These past two generations seem to make EVERYTHING super complicated....

 

[discoveregg]

Quote:
I give my chicks Purina Start & Grow. The clerk at TSC said I don't need to give them grit, regardless of the treats I feed them, as long as they eat the Start & Grow. Is that incorrect information?

 

[KIDDSBANTAMS]

That is not correct, chickens to not have teeth so it they are eating anything other the chicken feed they need grit in order to grind up their food they eat.

 

[Ariel301]

They can eat the start and grow or chick starter, or layer crumbles/pellets without grit. Those are made of powdered grain that is stuck together into crumbles or pellets, so it dissolves in the crop when the bird drinks water. Whole or cracked grains like corn, oats, wheat, etc need to be ground up by the grit, so if the birds are eating those, they need grit.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

There is no need ot give them scratch so I would not. It is empty of nutrition and just sugar they don't need. If you want t o give them something other than feed, give them vegies or bugs along with grit.