is it healthy to feed chickens just scratch and feed

[AceSierra]

i looked up the best thing to feed chickens and it was scratch and feed layer 16%. just wanted to know if its healthy for them to just eat this.

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

If you mean "scratch" as in cracked corn mix then it should only be fed as a treat every once in a while. Or *very little* each day. (Corn turns into sugar and can make your birds obese.)
If you are talking about "crumble" as in layer crumbles or layer pellets then yes, you can feed crumble and pellets daily.

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

Feed daily:

Feed daily:




Feed only as a treat or in a VERY SMALL AMOUNT daily:

 

[Chickenslol]

Feed daily:
View attachment 2590351
Feed daily:
View attachment 2590352



Feed only as a treat or in a VERY SMALL AMOUNT daily:
View attachment 2590357

note: you may want to adjust your scratch amounts depending on the seasons. More in the winter so they have more calories and fat to burn, less in the summer, and later in the day for winter so their metabolism is working for the cold nights.

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

note: you may want to adjust your scratch amounts depending on the seasons. More in the winter so they have more calories and fat to burn, less in the summer, and later in the day for winter so their metabolism is working for the cold nights.

 

[FuzzyCritters]

Scratch is not healthy. It is very high in fat and should only be fed as a treat, not part of their main diet. Layer feed contains all the nutrients they need to be healthy (though higher protien, around 18%, is better). Treats should make up 10% of their diet or less.

 

[CSolis]

I make sure that no more than 1/3 of my kids diets are scratch grains.. but then it's more than just cracked corn.

 

[poultryprofessor]

If you are feeding a complete commercially-available feed, that's all your birds need. Scratch is not necessary, and can lead to malnutrition if you feed too much.

 

[AceSierra]

theres this brand of feed called scratch and feed and its supposedly everything in

If you mean "scratch" as in cracked corn mix then it should only be fed as a treat every once in a while. Or *very little* each day. (Corn turns into sugar and can make your birds obese.)
If you are talking about "crumble" as in layer crumbles or layer pellets then yes, you can feed crumble and pellets daily.

pellets but in its unprosessed form like seeds and bugs and stuff

 

[FuzzyCritters]

theres this brand of feed called scratch and feed and its supposedly everything in

pellets but in its unprosessed form like seeds and bugs and stuff

That sounds good. Just make sure the chickens don't pick out only their favorite things.