giving scratch...on top of pine bedding??

[JeninMN]

I have started giving 2 cups of scratch a night to our girls...we have 33 girls right now, buff orps. Is 2 cups too much??

My main question on this is that we use pine bedding in the coop and that is where I have been giving them their scratch to try to get them moving the bedding around more for us

If they ingest any of the pine bedding is this going to cause problems??? We will also be adding straw once it gets colder outside but for now its just the bedding.

Also has anyone here used aspen bedding? I dont know if there is alot of difference between aspen or pine but where we get our bedding they also sell horse bedding which is aspen...the pine bedding that they have had in the last few times has gotten alot finer...it doesn't stay nice very long so I was thinking of trying the aspen bedding?

 

[jerseygirl1]

I can only attest to the scratch - I give my 18 hens scratch on top of the pine bedding, and they seem to be OK with it, scratching around trying to get it. There haven't been an ill effects if they ingest it so far, and it's been about 4 months. I think that's why they scratch with their feet - to find the crumbs and move the bedding out of the way

 

[Chris09]

we have 33 girls right now, buff orps. Is 2 cups too much

That's fine.. I give 1 1/2 to 2 cups scratch per 6 large fowl chickens

I have been giving them their scratch to try to get them moving the bedding around

Pitching your scratch grain on the pin bedding is fine. Makes them work there legs and keeps the bedding loose..

Also has anyone here used aspen bedding? I don't know if there is alot of difference between aspen or pine

Well first of a Pine trees are Conifers and the Aspen trees are Deciduous.
Aspens are in the Salicaceae family of flowering plants.
As for bedding I used it before its not bad...
I like ground corn cobs or the corn cob pellets.. You should be able to get ether on at the feed mill.

Chris​