Good practice or not?

[rebrascora]

Did I read correct, that you are treating 5 chickens to a quart of scratch/cracked corn each day?
If so, not only will they need a source of calcium sooner or later but you are running a serious risk of health issues (unless a quart is much smaller than it is her in the UK.) Hens will eat scratch in preference to their layer feed so that scratch will be reducing the amount of layer feed they eat and therefore diluting the calcium they ingest. Scratch is also higher in carbs and lower in protein that layer feed and your birds are at risk of becoming nutritionally unbalanced and over time potentially obese as a result. This can lead to the risk of several very seriious ailments including egg binding, prolapse, internal laying and possibly even sudden death due to Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome. This occurs over a period of months rather than days or weeks but by the time you discover a problem it is often too late.
You would be well advised to dramatically reduce or stop the scratch and/or cracked corn before damage is done.
A reasonable quantity of scratch would be a tablespoon per bird per day and ideally not every day. Better to provide them with a healthier treat.
Birds including chicks will need grit if they have access to anything which is lumpy or fibrous, like vegetation..... basically anything that would require "chewing" if they had teeth.... bearing in mind that pellets and crumbles go to mush when soaked in water in their crop, so don't need any grinding/"chewing". It is better to supply it and it not be needed as not supply it and it them have digestive problems.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I totally missed that! Yes! I'd give them much less scratch! Mine only get a coffee mug full, for 13 chickens, at the end of the day. Its literally gone in less than a minute. They've been spending the day eating stuff that's good for them first. Scratch is like feeding a kid cake and candy instead of what's good for them.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I prefer to feed all flock and offer oyster shell on the side. They eat as much as they need, and you can feed the same feed to your 8wk olds as you do the hens and not have to double up on feed.
As for the grit, I'd always offer the appropriate size on the side. As mentioned above, a run can be depleted quickly, especially if they aren't free ranging at all. Also, it all depends on the type of soil you have available. If your in sandy loam or clay, there's not enough grit available. More rocky soils will have some grit available, but again, in a run it will be depleted.
I offer OS, and grit on the side for my chickens, and they occasionally range my yard and gravel drive. With the gravel in the drive, they don't use as much grit, but I still keep it available.

The home we are in now had a gravel border, about a foot wide, around the back patio....well, had

 

[Fishkeeper]

Absolutely give them massively less scratch. It's not a bad plan to give them oyster shell, but don't put it on their food- put it near their food so they can pick some if they want.

 

[50-45-1]

I offer a container of grit and oyster shell at all times. And my flock free range.
Honestly, it is so inexpensive and both are necessary for chickens, why not?
I get a 50# bag of grit for about 8 dollars and a # bag of oyster shell for $10.00 and they last me 2 years.
Chickens take it when they need it
I use the feeder shown below inside the coop.

 

[Folly's place]

My 22 birds get about a cup of scratch a couple times a week at most! It's a treat only!
Oyster shell and grit offered separately is cheap insurance, as everyone has mentioned. An all-flock feed is a very good choice, with separate oyster shell, rather than layer feed.
Mary