Scratch Grain- Why it's useful in flock management and nutrition

[WoodlandWoman]

Cottagechick, if you were in a hurry when you joined the forum, maybe go back and read the rules you agreed to follow, now. There are a couple that are specific to the topics on this forum. The rest are typical of most forums.

As for the topic of this thread, I think that GM crops and the use of scratch grains are two different topics. You can buy scratch or processed feed that are made from GM or non-GM feed.

 

[kvmommy]

Ok, this is something I probably should know but don't. Should you feed chicks scratch? And do you throw scratch into the shavings? Don't they get wasted?

 

[Resolution]

Quote:
Very true. As a rule, milo (sorghum) and proso millet, really any millets are unlikely to be GM. On that same topic, I don't know of much of any non-GM soy unfortunately.

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It depends what you decide to make your scratch grain with. I personally use canary seed, milo and millet with juvenile chicks from 5 weeks on. Sesame seeds, coriander, mustard, radish seed and white millet from the first week on and with any landfowl chick. I didn't get to it yesterday but will ammend today a thread above on management where I'll go over the flock management issues.

 

[giggleboxfarm]

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My chicks in the house don't get scratch because I'd then have to provide grit and I'm feeling kinda lazy. I throw the scratch outside on the grass that the older chickens free-range in. One thing I love about scratch is that if they miss some, it will stay there and sprout. win/win for me.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
My chicks in the house don't get scratch because I'd then have to provide grit and I'm feeling kinda lazy. I throw the scratch outside on the grass that the older chickens free-range in. One thing I love about scratch is that if they miss some, it will stay there and sprout. win/win for me.

Yes- I agree about the sprouting. Then they come back a few days later and snack on the healthy sprouts. I have been known to throw feed all over the place, as a greens supplement, lol!!!

They LOVE tiny sprouts.

 

[cottagechick]

I already deleted my comment. It was just that a comment....I thought that DISCUSSIONS about this topic were not allowed. I didn't realize that mentioning in passing would be a problem. I apologize my comment offended anyone, but can someone just delete this whole part of the thread? I didn't respond before because I didn't want it to drag on..but I still got a comment about it...this topic is to interesting and I just want this to go away!

 

[Tracydr]

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Try planting amaranth, too. It's beautiful and they can eat the greens as well as the seeds. It's so pretty you can plant it as an ornamental. Gives huge seed heads and grows as easily as a weed. I've found I can grow it in the summer in AZ when hardly anything else will grow. It's also one of the highest protein grains with one of the best amino acid profiles.

 

[Tracydr]

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A lot depends on what breeds you are feeding,
Most hatchery and soft feather breeds do very poorly on a hard whole grain diet and should be feed a be feed a "soft" or ground food diet.
Hard feather breeds like large fowl Gamefowl, and Oriental fowl do very well with a more "hard"/ whole diet.

My birds (not including the gamefowl) are feed a set amount of mash feed and are not full fed and do very well on that diet, when they were on a "hard"/ whole diet there feathers and over all condition was poor. I have found that a max of 30% "hard"/ whole diet to 70% "soft" or ground diet work about best on most breeds (not including the gamefowl).

Chris

I think you just have to introduce the whole grains slowly so that their gizzards are able to adapt. I raised my last batch of Cornish on a diet high in whole grains and sprouted grains starting from day one. They have the largest gizzards I've ever seen! I'm sure those muscles need to develop in order to process grains efficiently. I'd be willing to bet most chickens could be switched to a whole grain and sprouted grain diet, given time to adapt.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
A lot depends on what breeds you are feeding,
Most hatchery and soft feather breeds do very poorly on a hard whole grain diet and should be feed a be feed a "soft" or ground food diet.
Hard feather breeds like large fowl Gamefowl, and Oriental fowl do very well with a more "hard"/ whole diet.

My birds (not including the gamefowl) are feed a set amount of mash feed and are not full fed and do very well on that diet, when they were on a "hard"/ whole diet there feathers and over all condition was poor. I have found that a max of 30% "hard"/ whole diet to 70% "soft" or ground diet work about best on most breeds (not including the gamefowl).

Chris

I think you just have to introduce the whole grains slowly so that their gizzards are able to adapt. I raised my last batch of Cornish on a diet high in whole grains and sprouted grains starting from day one. They have the largest gizzards I've ever seen! I'm sure those muscles need to develop in order to process grains efficiently. I'd be willing to bet most chickens could be switched to a whole grain and sprouted grain diet, given time to adapt.

Sprouted grains isn't really a "whole grain" it is a Possessed Grain just like Brewers grains or Distillers grains and either is easier to possess than the same grain in its dry form.

As for the gizzard muscle need to develop, I don't buy it. Gizzard only grinds the food and it does not extract the nutrients.

Also your talking about Cornish which should be a hard feather fowl.

Somewhere on line there is a study that a collage did on poultry feed and there affects on the poultry tested, the easiest form of feed to extract nutrition from was Mash and the hardest was Unprocessed grains.

Chris

 

[welasharon]

Quote:
I think you just have to introduce the whole grains slowly so that their gizzards are able to adapt. I raised my last batch of Cornish on a diet high in whole grains and sprouted grains starting from day one. They have the largest gizzards I've ever seen! I'm sure those muscles need to develop in order to process grains efficiently. I'd be willing to bet most chickens could be switched to a whole grain and sprouted grain diet, given time to adapt.

Sprouted grains isn't really a "whole grain" it is a Possessed Grain just like Brewers grains or Distillers grains and either is easier to possess than the same grain in its dry form.

As for the gizzard muscle need to develop, I don't buy it. Gizzard only grinds the food and it does not extract the nutrients.

Also your talking about Cornish which should be a hard feather fowl.

Somewhere on line there is a study that a collage did on poultry feed and there affects on the poultry tested, the easiest form of feed to extract nutrition from was Mash and the hardest was Unprocessed grains.

Chris

Chris,
I am discussing this to learn...not to be a PITA, so......to me it seems the point of the grain (and the more difficulty in processing) is the longer time it takes to get it processed. I have been reading resolution's posts and he addressed the satisfaction or satiation level from processing the slower grains. I just find it difficult to accept that the over processed comercial feed is better for them which is why I am curious about a more natural feed. I have less than 25 birds so pricing is not a concern nor is time consumption.
sharon