Chicken Scratch for fattening up the ladies during winter?

[idispatch4911]

I just bought some chicken scratch at IFA cuz I've read in some posts that it helps fatten up birds during cold months. It has less protein in it than their feed. 9% vs 16%.....What gives? Maybe I just read into the posts too much?? I'm glad they've got the corn and we always give them food storage wheat and oats, but where could I find dried corn to feed?

I almost purchased a "squirrel mix" bag at Walmart (didn't know if we'd make it to IFA) because it had lots of sunflower seeds and corn. But it also had unshelled peanuts. Then I thought, how is a chicken gonna shell sunflower seeds and peanuts. DUH! Wouldn't they choke or prefer something smaller??

I wanted something dried that would be easy for my small kids to reach in and throw to the chickens. Maybe we'll just stick with wheat and oats...

 

[artsyrobin]

well, they'll eat the sunflower husk and all, lots of vitamins and minerals- the only thing to be aware of is scratch is a treat, candy, the wheat and oats are probably better in the long run- too much grains can affect their absorption of calcium- i try to be careful on giving too much of it- might also consider alfalfa cubes- lots of protein in it

 

[idispatch4911]

I looked into alfalfa cubes while I was at IFA, my local store only sells a 50# bag, not 25# bags.... So, I decided against it for now since we've only got 2 hens. I've got a few horse-people friends and will ask them to donate a few cubes to me to test out. Thanks for that advice!!

 

[Clay Mudd]

Quote:
Any feed store should have corn. As for the peanuts -- mine will pick up a peanut in the shell and bash it on the ground until it breaks open, then eat the peanut. It's hilarious to watch, and keeps them busy. ;

Wheat and oats are great, too.

 

[D3invertebrates]

Ive read alfalfa was poison to chickens, though I cant say for sure since Ive never fed it to a chicken.

 

[JodyJo]

Quote:
Never heard this....I have alfalfa all over my place for our livestock, no chicken has gotten sick from scratching around and eating all the leaves they recover..
I feed scratch mainly as a treat and to give them something to do...they free range all day, so I toss it in the hay, and they peck and scratch for hours at it.

I have heard the same thing...but I doubt there is much truth to it. I do feed mine hot oatmeal on cold days...they love it...I think that is better for them than the scratch.
Mine also get BOSS daily...and they are fat and fluffy...healthy and giving me eggs...
(Here is one of my BA keeping warm....)

 

[Fred's Hens]

Alfalfa meal is a major ingredient in most chicken feed formula. 16-17% protein, filled with nutrients. Not poisonous. Geeesh.

 

[D3invertebrates]

Ya I checked and several sources say alfalfa is poisonous to chickens. Its the first one on the list on this link. http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxic1.html

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
I don't know where you read that at but it is untrue.

Buckeye

40% Poultry Concentrate
INGREDIENTS Soybean Meal, Porcine Meat Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Middlings, Alfalfa
Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), DL-Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium
Phosphate, Salt, Manganous Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Ethylenediamine
Dihydriodide, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement,
Vitamin E Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (Source of Vitamin K Activity),
Riboflavin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Choline Chloride, Vitamin B12
Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Ethoxyquin (a
preservative).

Buckeye

18% Layer-Breeder Pellets
INGREDIENTS: Ground Corn, Soybean Meal, Porcine Meat Meal, Wheat Middlings, Corn
Gluten Meal, Alfalfa Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, citric acid and
rosemary extract), L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Calcium Phosphate,
Manganous Oxide Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Ethylenediamine
Dihydriodide, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E
Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K Activity), Riboflavin
Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement,
Choline Chloride, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Biotin.


Chris

 

[D3invertebrates]

I was just saying I read it somewhere not that I knew for sure, and Ive never seen alfalfa listed in the ingredients for any feed for any animal Ive ever had. Geeeeesh.