how do chickens find scratch in bedding?

[dftkarin]

I read about people throwing a handful of cracked corn or scratch into the deep litter shavings to get the chickens to scratch in and fluff up the bedding and I've tried it a few times in my not-very-deep litter and I'm not sure the chickens are finding the scratch. Do they have super smell or sight so they can find tiny particles in the middle of wood shavings? How can they do that?

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
They see pretty well and mine will scratch all the way down to the wooden floor to find their feed. I only do that with my older birds because I worry about the younger ones eating the shavings on accident...

 

[too much fun]

Have you tried it... they go crazy! They figure out what is food and what isn't. They do it all day long in the run. They just know you threw something down and they are going to find it. If not today, they'll find it tomorrow

 

[Chirpy]

I know they find it because when we did our 100% clean out last spring there was no scratch to be found as I was scooping out the litter. And I tossed it in there all winter. I love watching them 'go deep' for those little tidbits of tasty goodness.

 

[WriterofWords]

How do we find groceries in the store? We look for it! They aren't stupid trust me,, mine could find a pound of scratch in a ton of sand.

 

[TurtleChick]

yup, they'll find it! i think it's definitely super-eyesight... they can find the tiniest specks of anything tasty.

i toss a small handful of scratch in their coop each night to give them something to do in the morning if they wake up before i get out to let them out. and whenever i clean out the house, there might be FOOD on the floor, but NEVER scratch!!! i also toss rake-fulls of leaves in their run and hide their scratch and black oil sunflower seed under it - they find every particle of that, too.