free choice scratch?

[frostbite]

And remember, scratch doesn't raise the chicken's body temperature. That's like saying Scratch gives them a fever. They are homeotherms, like us. But extra calories do give us the energy to burn in order to more easily maintain our temperature in cold weather, while still retaining body mass. So scratch in the winter can help chickens stay warm, but it won't make them warmer.

Yeah, I know, I don't have chickens yet. But basic principles of animal physiology continue to work for chickens too. And I know that the extra scratch I eat helps keep me warm in the winter. The extra layer of body fat helps, but I think I'd rather get a warmer coat and lay off the scratch. My pants would fit better.

Chicken Parkas, anyone?

 

[ellieroo]

So at my coop neither scracth grain nor flock blocks are a problem. The girls and the guys will choose just about anything over either ??

 

[Country Chick]

I make my own feed. It contains: scratch, sunflower seeds, calf mana, and rooster booster pellets. They all love it!!! And are very healthy. I also give my EE's & Orps a little of flock raiser. In the spring I'll give my girls layer. And of course they get table scraps, ect....

 

[jaj121159]

In the fall and until spring, I put free-choice scratch in the feeders in my runs. Sometimes I mix some cracked corn in with it. My birds enjoy it, but don't eat it nearly as fast as their regular feed (which is still available inside their coops). I did this last year and offered BOSS as a treat. No BOSS this year, not for 80 birds anyway. I can buy steak cheaper. Next year I am going to grow a couple of acres of BOSS, save the heads, then feed the heads during the fall and winter.

 

[Beekissed]

Don't know that I ever bought "scratch" and don't even know of what it contains....been raising chickens for 35 years off and on. I do, however, mix several whole grains in my laying mash to allow for more variety of texture, dietary fiber and to save on money. My birds free range all the time also. The forage and whole grains that displace the laying mash do not cause any malnutrition of any kind and the birds seem to need less feed and stay more satisfied with the addition of the whole grains.

Imagine, if you will, that you are a bird that is used to a variety of seeds, bugs, grasses and other organic matter that provides variety and texture and then you are placed on finally ground and formulated feeds. Oh, it may sustain you and provide for your nutritional needs....but every animal is different and giving them one, uniform feed and expecting them to perform on an equal basis on that one formulated feed is what commercial industry poultry growers do and they find that, though the birds may survive~many of them do not.

I usually have maximum lay in peak season from my flock, they have never had any health issues, they are beautifully healthy in appearance and in action....the advent of a mixture of oats, barley, wheat, cracked corn, alfalfa, BOSS and OS in their laying mash is a great way of providing variety in the winter months when my birds cannot forage as much and, for penned birds, I'd say it should be offered year round. Free choice? No. I don't offer anything free choice except OS during high calcium need seasons.