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

[Chris09]

Quote:
I see what you are saying but also some breeds are better at foraging than others.
If you have feed/water in there coop and let them free range during the day they should be just fine.

Chris

Yes, this is what I do. They have access at any time they want to the pens with the water and food. I am primarily dealing with my o shamo in this regard. They are excellent at foraging. The silkies......not so much! Nor the polish.....LOL

Also if your Shamo are still growing they will benefit being on the on the ground free ranging and a lower protein feed.

Chris

 

[welasharon]

Quote:
Yes, this is what I do. They have access at any time they want to the pens with the water and food. I am primarily dealing with my o shamo in this regard. They are excellent at foraging. The silkies......not so much! Nor the polish.....LOL

Also if your Shamo are still growing they will benefit being on the on the ground free ranging and a lower protein feed.

Chris

Yes they are still just under a year. Much growing time left.

 

[cottagechick]

I have wondered about wild bird feed, and pet food and fish food products. I realize that these are deemed "safe" for the birds, but since pet food isn't as stringently regulated as people food is there a potential that harmful additives chemicals could make its way into eggs, ect?

 

[southerndesert]

Quote:
I see what you are saying but also some breeds are better at foraging than others.
If you have feed/water in there coop and let them free range during the day they should be just fine.

Chris

Where one lives is also important to consider as here in Central Arizona our birds have 5 acres available, but most of the year it is dry and dormant so foraging does not offer as much food as say foraging in Ohio or Illinois.

They do have food available at all times so it is not an issue, but flock management is often much different from state to state when it comes to available forage stuffs....

 

[elmo]

I don't full feed. There is no point to it, except to wast feed.

If the chickens eat the food, it's not wasted, is it? I have a pretty good idea of how much our small flock eats on a daily basis. I put out that amount plus a little more into the feeders every morning. I think the feed stays fresher that way.​

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Me, too. Pelleted or processed food has the greatest risk, I think, because the components of these feeds so often come from China, and who knows what's going to be in that? Melamine or whatever else?

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Me, too. Pelleted or processed food has the greatest risk, I think, because the components of these feeds so often come from China, and who knows what's going to be in that? Melamine or whatever else?

What feed are you getting that gets there ingredients from China?


Chris

 

[Resolution]

Quote:
Me, too. Pelleted or processed food has the greatest risk, I think, because the components of these feeds so often come from China, and who knows what's going to be in that? Melamine or whatever else?

What feed are you getting that gets there ingredients from China?


Chris

Some commodities like soy do come from China but most comes from Brazil. There is soy grown in North America as well but it tends to be more expensive than the Brazilian, which also has a year long growing season. The USA was until recently the leading soy producer but Brazil has surpassed us by a wide margin starting in 2010.

I think all the corn and wheat that goes into these feeds is grown in the USA.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
What feed are you getting that gets there ingredients from China?


Chris

Some commodities like soy do come from China but most comes from Brazil. There is soy grown in North America as well but it tends to be more expensive than the Brazilian, which also has a year long growing season. The USA was until recently the leading soy producer but Brazil has surpassed us by a wide margin starting in 2010.

I think all the corn and wheat that goes into these feeds is grown in the USA.

I believe (I will have to look for it) that Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay had post the amount if any grain that was shipped in the U.S. from China and if it was any at all it was very little.
I do know that the local mills that we have around here use only either U.S. or Canadian grown ingredients.

Chris

 

[FrenchToast]

A fowl only needs to ingest a half tablespoon of high protein hard kibble- formulated for fish, pets or birds to reach its daily requirements. The bulk of its feed can be good old, inexpensive scratch grain. I'll reitterate - scratch grain provides satiation. It fills the crop. This makes the birds feel full - content- willing to settle down and rest a while.
The more hard food stored in that crop -the longer the high protein supplement remains in the digestive system and the more the bird gets out of it.

from post #2

I was at TSC today and they had pond fish food ( or some kind of fish (can't remember now)) with 32% protein. It was marked down so I bought a bag remembering what I had read on this thread.

So I am trying to add more scratch fo keep my flock fuller, longer and thought when I saw the 32% protein I would a a small amount of this.

Any thoughts?

Thanks​