I often read here that mixing scratch or treats with regular chicken feed will dilute the nutrients chickens receive. I am confused as to how this happens.
I give my chickens a cup or so of layer pellets (for 4 hens) first thing in the morning. I let them out after they finish or are close to finished, and they eat what they find in the yard or what I give them as 'treats' (yogurt, scratch, BOSS and seed from wild bird feeders, etc). If they already consume the layer pellets before the other foods, aren't they getting the nutrition present in those pellets (16% protein and all the rest)?
Is it that the treats mix with the pellets in their digestive system and some of the pellet nutrients get bypassed?
I give my chickens a cup or so of layer pellets (for 4 hens) first thing in the morning. I let them out after they finish or are close to finished, and they eat what they find in the yard or what I give them as 'treats' (yogurt, scratch, BOSS and seed from wild bird feeders, etc). If they already consume the layer pellets before the other foods, aren't they getting the nutrition present in those pellets (16% protein and all the rest)?
Is it that the treats mix with the pellets in their digestive system and some of the pellet nutrients get bypassed?