Scratch food vs. Starter (crumbles)

[BakkDad]

My chicks are 10 weeks old now. Up until a week ago I only fed them crumbles/starter with occasional treats. Last week I bought some scratch food and have that and the crumbles available to them. Since then they mostly eat the scratch food. Is it OK to leave them to it, or should I pull the scratch food and only offer it occasionally? Thanks for any input. BTW, they also free range twice a day. I also include grit in the run area.

 

[DobieLover]

My chicks are 10 weeks old now. Up until a week ago I only fed them crumbles/starter with occasional treats. Last week I bought some scratch food and have that and the crumbles available to them. Since then they mostly eat the scratch food. Is it OK to leave them to it, or should I pull the scratch food and only offer it occasionally? Thanks for any input. BTW, they also free range twice a day. I also include grit in the run area.

Scratch is strictly a treat and should be offered in very limited quantities.

 

[Murple]

I go with the starter until 18 weeks, then I switch to layer pellets. Try not to feed just scratch unless you have no other option, as it doesn’t meet the ideal dietary requirements. Hope that helps!

 

[cstronks]

Very formative time for your hens. At that age, they should be kept on crumbles and transitioned to pullet feed to prepare for egg-laying. Scratch isn't really something that can supplement as feed, unless it is homemade and essentially the same as a crumble/highly nutritious feed. It might not be the most popular opinion, but following the feed scales that a company like Purina outlines is pretty much fool proof. You'll want to maintain optimal nutrition so that your hens are highly productive when ready!