Is chicken scratch good for chickens? and How should I use it?

[GC-Raptor]

I have no clue what scratch even does for chickens.

It encourages natural behavior, chickens enjoy searching for food.
I scatter in their pen.

How often should I use it? Is it like a treat?

It's a treat, not fortified like Poultry feed.
I scatter a half Tbsp per chicken twice daily, a Tbsp twice daily per chicken during winter season, mid morning and early afternoon.
I use a coffee scoop to measure for my 8 chickens.

GC

 

[aart]

A sensible approach. So you'd be feeding 8.5 parts 20% pellet and 1.5 parts scratch to get an 18% protein average. A part is whatever you decide, a cup, a scoop, a bucket.

Pretty much......rather rough measurement and ratio, measured by 24 hour consumption of crumble(I use a quart jug with bottom cut out as a scoop).
Sometimes it's less, sometimes it's more...and who knows who is getting more scratch.<shrugs>

 

[ackie]

I asked the guy at the feed store what they had for non-laying chickens... he said scratch. Like it was a food.