Is scratch ok to give in Summer?

[cabela]

I bought a bag of scratch before I heard that somewhere that you shouldn't give it in the Summer. Does anyone know if it will last until Winter inside a Rubbermaid tote or will it spoil? Thanks....

 

[NarleevilleClucks]

I've never heard that you shouldn't give scratch in the summer and it's mixed in with my chics food...all year round...this is strange. Although if you want to stop giving it in the summer I'm sure it would keep well in a rubbermaid tote if it was kept very dry.

 

[SallyF]

I still give a little scratch in the summer, because it is the treat my flock responds to best when it is time to get them into the run after free-ranging. I just cut down on the amount. I keep the bag in a plastic trash can with a tight lid and it seems to last a fairly long time. You may have moths hatch in it after a while; most dried corn products seem to be contaminated with moth larvae.

 

[digitS']

Scratch varies from company to company. It is usually corn, for the most part. As I see it, here are 2 problems with feeding very much corn in the summer:

Let's say you have a laying hen. She's not very big but she lays a full-sized egg nearly every day right through the year.

Your hen eats exactly 100 grams of food each day. That's what she wants and if it is available that is the limit of what she will eat: 100 gram.

During cold weather, your hen needs 340 calories each day. During hot weather, she only needs 260 calories each day. Her activity level is the same winter or summer but to stay warm, she needs quite a few more calories in winter than in summer. Once her summer requirement is met, the excess calories may just go to making her fat. That isn't healthy so in the summer she really should only have 260 calories.

She lays an egg almost every day. An egg has quite a lot of protein. On any day, winter or summer, to maintain her own body and to produce that egg - your hen needs 17 grams of protein.

Corn has a lot of calories and little protein.

100 grams of corn
360 calories
8 grams of protein

USDA National Nutrient Database
Nutrition for Backyard Chicken Flocks, Auburn University, Poultry Science

Steve

 

[Debob]

Mineget a McDee's small coffe cup of whole corn in the morning,throwen to them . In the evening they get a cup of whole corn & 1/2 cup of cracked corn in the out side feeder. They also have a feeder in the coop with curmbles all the time. With 11 hens there is not any left outside when the are put up at night. If any were to be left I'd just cut back on the evening feeding. This is addition to any treats .

 

[nsanywhere]

never heard of that. I give scratch all year round, just much less in the warm months.

I have 30 chickens - keep layer pellets in the feeder 24/7 for free feed and also give them all the kitchen scraps. For scratch:

~ 1 cup morning and evening, scattered in the run (it is scratch, after all . The evening scratch is mostly to get them in from a day of free ranging.

In the winter I almost triple that, but play around with amounts based on the cold.

I have to keep all my food in metal garbage cans with tight lids. Even in the feed shed, something will get in there and eat right through a rubber or plastic container, no mater how thick. I also found that leaving the food in the 50 lb. bags and turning them down (like potato chip bags) helps keep out moisture, which makes the food go bad.

 

[MikasGirl]

You are not supposed to give large amounts of scratch during warm weather because it can raise their body temperature and possibly cause heat stroke. I still give mine a little, but definitely not as much as during the winter.

 

[sjh]

Quote:
Bad info!!
Wrong!!
Why will this not dy.

 

[usschicago1]

Quote:
Bad info!!
Wrong!!
Why will this not dy.

No need to be rude, he didnt know

 

[easton coop]

I have also stopped giving them mixed grain as the weather is so so hot at the moment. I did hear that it does raise their body temperature, is this not true.