Scratch is not only of benefit for nutrition, but also for enrichment. Chickens who can't (or don't) free range all day need something to do in their run. It takes our flock a good hour to find all the little bits of the handful of scratch I throw down for them every morning. For my bantams, I use a combination of a good quality parakeet seed mix to which I've added sunflower chips and steel cut oats.
Looking for food is a chicken's primary interest and hobby. I once read that feeding layer mash instead of pellets was preferable because it takes the chicken longer to pick through the feed and consume what they need, thus providing them more entertainment in their day.
Looking for food is a chicken's primary interest and hobby. I once read that feeding layer mash instead of pellets was preferable because it takes the chicken longer to pick through the feed and consume what they need, thus providing them more entertainment in their day.