Scracth or Complete poultry ration?

[brandibaby23]

IS there a difference here, I called the feed store but the old man seemed way comfused. They have for sale "Complete poultry ration" and "Scratch" he was trying to explain it to me but I am now more confused than ever all I got out of it was they were made by machines?? Weird Help I am going to buy and need info PLease!

 

[AmyBella]

You want to feed them a complete ration appropriate for their age (chick, grower, layer). Scratch is like candy for chickens and can be offered as a treat from time to time, but they need the balanced nutrition of the ration for their every day feed. I guess they take soy and grains and nutrients and process it into a convenient, low waste nugget. Scratch is usually a blend of cracked corn and other grains.

 

[gkeesling]

The poultry ration will probably come in either crumbles or pellets. i like the crumbles but others like the pellets so try them both and see what you, and your chickens, like the best. I feed the "scratch" on occasion. I'll just take a coffee can full and spread it around the ground for my hens to have something to peck on the ground at. My "scratch" is the feed (cracked corn and oats) that I feed my steers with.

 

[Amethyste]

Yup... pellets or crumbles is how the feed comes to us...that is what you want to make sure your chickens have mostly. The scratch is just corn and grains....Chicken Candy!! Most chookies will be rather childlike in that respect and want to eat nothing but the junk food lol

Mine only like the pellets...but I toss out crumbles with scratch as a snack and they think its the best thing ever lol

 

[Akane]

Pretty much all animal feeds are run through a mill. Some are then pressed in to shapes or larger pieces. Of course it's all done by machines and people just drive, push buttons, or pull levers. Machines harvest the grains. Machines unload the grains. Machines grind the grains. Machines press the pellets or kibble. Only difference is what's put in to it. Scratch is usually leftover grains. More expensive scratch is probably more thought out but it still lacks many of the things chickens need. It's not much more than a treat. If your store only sells one other poultry product it's probably something like flock raiser which is designed to be fed to all ages but it's not as good as getting age appropriate feed. Otherwise they should have various poultry rations marked for age. The crumble or pellets that everyone is talking about is just the size of the pieces in the feed. Feed stores here do not sell both crumbles and pellets. None of them do within a 50mile radius. You get one or the other. Half the time they don't carry both chick starter and layer at the same time and I've yet to see grower.

 

[brandibaby23]

OK thanks guys, I just went ahead and bought cracked corn, Complete ration, and layer crumbles I figure that will cover it!!

 

[brandibaby23]

OH I bought chick starter too for the babies in the house with me right now.