scratch and peck, non GMO organic Anyone use this ?

[Scratch and Peck]

Tammy, sorry we missed connections there - feel free to call us at the mill, (360) 318-7585, or send me your number in a private message and I'll give you a call. Thanks! ~ Matthew Aamot, Scratch and Peck Sales Rep.

 

[joe12pack]

I have used Scratch and Peck in addition to Modesto Mills and several other brands here in the SF Bay area.

I have to agree with a previous poster that this type of feed has some "powdery" aspects to it and there is actually quite a bit of wastage because the hens don't seem interested in eating this powdery portion of the feed and only focus on the whole grains.

S&P is already the most expensive feed out there and it just makes it even harder to justify when 10% of it is not even eaten. I will say that I LOVE their ingredients. Their feed is SOY and Canola Free. I don't want to feed my chickens what I would not eat.

I think the best route to go is to make my own feed by buying in bulk the components of the feed from Azure Standard but that would involve over 400 lbs of feed since I would be buying 25 and 50lb bags of everything but if I can find a few others that want to split this it would make the most sense economically and nutritionally.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[pdirt]

I have used Scratch and Peck in addition to Modesto Mills and several other brands here in the SF Bay area.

I have to agree with a previous poster that this type of feed has some "powdery" aspects to it and there is actually quite a bit of wastage because the hens don't seem interested in eating this powdery portion of the feed and only focus on the whole grains. 

S&P is already the most expensive feed out there and it just makes it even harder to justify when 10% of it is not even eaten. [COLOR=FF0000]I will say that I LOVE their ingredients.[/COLOR] Their feed is SOY and Canola Free. I don't want to feed my chickens what I would not eat. 

I think the best route to go is to make my own feed by buying in bulk the components of the feed from Azure Standard but that would involve over 400 lbs of feed since I would be buying 25 and 50lb bags of everything but if I can find a few others that want to split this it would make the most sense economically and nutritionally. 

Just my 2 cents.

Two ways I've solved the waste problem of scratch n peck feeds:

1) mix the powder with plain yogurt. THEY GOBBLE IT UP!

2) make fermented feed...all the powder sticks to the feed. This is my current fave method and has LOTS of health bennys for the chickens.

 

[FrancesR]

You are not the only one with this experience. I raise 100 chicks each year, keep 50 and sell 50. Among those I sell, many go to folks who use organic, non GMO chicken feed. I have repeatedly had comments that makes my wonder about the food those folks are using. I always use the medicated conventional feed for the first 18 weeks of the girls' lives. When I sell the birds I get comments that indicate a big difference in health and productivity. One organic farm bought a dozen of my birds that were 4 1/2 months old. She said my birds were bigger than the birds she had raised and that they looked "vibrant." I don't know what she had raised her older birds on, but I know it was organic feed. Another person has purchased birds from me twice in the past 8 years and he always calls me when the girls are about 6 months old, complaining that they aren't laying yet. My girls from the same hatch will be well along in laying eggs, albeit small ones. There have been others who have called me asking why their girls aren't laying yet, and when I ask what they're feeding, it's always organic feed. I just have to wonder about the formulation of the organic feeds. I know that the ones bought here in Hawaii are around 16% protein, and they let the birds free-range in compost piles. I think that birds really need free-feed 20% protein besides the veggies and stuff they dig up in compost piles. If they derive say, 1/3 of their food from the compost piles of fruits and veggies and the rest from 16% organic feed, then in actuality their protein total is less than 16%. It's more like 10-12%, which isn't going to give the girls optimum nutrition to grow big and strong and lay eggs at the rate folks expect them to.

I will repeat your disclaimer: This is my experience; others surely have had different results.

 

[pdirt]

We feed ours 16% organic feed as well as lots of free ranging and they lay like champs. Perhaps your customer with non laying hens has something on the property that is keeping them from laying or perhaps they aren't getting enough calcium. Or they have severe worm infestations. Who knows. But I highly doubt it's the organic feed unless the feed is truly not formulated properly, again of which I highly doubt. Has she tried different brands of organic feed? Tell her to contact her local extension office and see if they have any local advice.

But yes, you're correct, if they are not getting enough protein, that could interfere with laying. But in the case of compost, I highly doubt that as well! Any compost pile I've ever seen is CHOCK FULL OF PROTEIN from all sorts of insects, worms, slugs and other creepy crawlies.

 

[karlamaria]

Still using scratch and peck and still very happy with it. We also add the powder to yogurt and they love it, heck just adding water to it and they go nuts over it. We get a bang up load of eggs and happy hens! But we do add plenty of other organic things to there diet, lots of romaine raisins, scratch sunflower seeds and only the best millet. I do say though, scratch and peck needs to be lower in price! It's way to high for what's in the bag and the powder !

 

[karlamaria]

Im sad to say scratch and peck is no longer worth the price. I have noticed more and more powder in there feed , and today i literally sifter over 19 pounds of powder out of a 40 pound bag . I filled two ten pound feeders and what was left over was powder, nothing more then a bin full of powder ! When you spend over 27.00 and get only two ten pound feeders from a 40 lb bag its clearly a waste of money. I noticed more and more powder in the feed over the last year, and today when i opened up a new bag i was shocked at how much powder was in it. Sorry azure Standard, you get an F on quality for price paid. I buy 5 bags a month, what im getting for my buck is not much ! , !

 

[karlamaria]

Im sad to say scratch and peck is no longer worth the price. I have noticed more and more powder in there feed , and today i literally sifter over 19 pounds of powder out of a 40 pound bag . I filled two ten pound feeders and what was left over was powder, nothing more then a bin full of powder ! When you spend over 27.00 and get only two ten pound feeders from a 40 lb bag its clearly a waste of money. I noticed more and more powder in the feed over the last year, and today when i opened up a new bag i was shocked at how much powder was in it. Sorry azure Standard, you get an F on quality for price paid. I buy 5 bags a month, what im getting for my buck is not much ! , !