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

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
You mention "volatile oils" and spices. Can you elaborate with specific instructions on how much and how often to add the spices to the chicken's feed and please explain about volatile oils? Are the oils to be fed to the chickens or applied to their skin and feathers? What are volatile oils? Which ones are you recommending that we use? How often to use? How and why are they good for the chickens?

Also, in one of the photos that you posted, it shows the feeding stations that you use. There are whole oyster shells there; is that just for show or do the chickens actually peck at and nip off bits from the whole shells in order to get their calcium?

Also, what is a "hard feather" bird and what is a "soft feather" bird? I've got Marans, Araucana, and Delaware chickens; are they soft or hard feather birds. I ask because you've made a distinction on providing hard feed and soft feed to the different bird breeds.

Also, I know what crumbles are, and what pellets are, but when you say you feed a "mash," what do you mean by "mash?" Does it mean you are moistening the feed to a wet, mushy consistency?

Thanks.
-Carolyn252

Thanks for asking these questions, they were on my mind as well, although I have the soft feathered which I am guessing are chickens and also ducks and geese are they the hard feathered ones?

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Fermented oats/ grain is a great way to feed whole grains.

When I ferment grain I just add a few cans of oats (or grain) in a bucket and add *apple juice* to cover the oats about a inch or so and topping off with apple juice as needed.
After 3 or 4 days it should be "ripe" then I drain and top there feed with it... (You will know when it is ready by it's smell. When it ready it will have a sour smell)

Note:
* Apple Juice* Raw or Organic is best.
I like apple juice better than plain water. Apple juice will add vitamin C and help with the fermenting process.

I like to also add a Vitamin mix like Rooster Booster Poultry Cell to the fermenting mix at the rate of 1 to 3 cc per bird per day.

Rooster Booster adds:
Copper
Cobalt
Magnesium
Manganese
Zinc
Selenium
Vitamin A
Vitamin D-3
Vitamin E
Vitamin B-12
Menadione (Vitamin K-3)
Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2)
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B-6)
Folic Acid
d-Panthothenic Acid
Niacinamide
Thiamine (Vitamin B-1)
Alanine
Arginine
Aspartic Acid
Cystine
Glutamic Acid
Glycine
Histidine
Isoleucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenyla Lanine
Proline
Serine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Tyrosine
Valine

Chris

Can other unsweetened juices be added instead of apple juice? What about acv?

To get the best affect a juice is best, the sugars in the juice help in the fermenting process.
If you don't want to use juice you can always use plain water, it will take a little longer to ferment but it will still work. As for using ACV I have never used it when fermenting grain.

Chris

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Your Marans, Araucana, and Delaware are all soft feather fowl.

Soft feather heavy,
The soft feather heavy includes birds like the sussex, orpington, plymouth rock, wyandotte & many others. The 'Soft Feather Heavy Breeds' are historically those developed for table or utility production, many of them having a good reputation for egg laying. The majority of heavy breeds have an excellent temperament which makes them suitable for a variety of purposes and ideal for beginners or children.

Example of Breeds:-
Ausralorp, Barnevelder, Brahma, Cochin, Langshan, Dorking, Faverolles, Frizzle, Marans, Orpington, PlymouthRock, Rhode Island Red, Sussex, Wyandotte, Araucana

Soft feather lights,
The soft feather light includes birds like the ancona,araucana,appenzeller & a many others.
The 'Soft Feather Light' Breeds are traditionally those with a good reputation for egg laying, rather than as table birds. Usually, they will lay good numbers of white or cream eggs but sometimes have a tendency to be flighty, so regular and careful handling is beneficial.

Example of Breeds:-
Ancona,Appenzeller,Araucana,Rumpless Araucana,Hamburgh,
Leghorn, Minorca, Poland, Redcap, Scots Dumpy, Scots Grey, Silkie,Welsummer

Hard Feather,
The Hard Feather category includes breed like the Old English Game, Rumpless Game & modern game, Asian breeds like the Shamo,Asil & Malay can also come under this classification although they can fall under the Asian Hard Feather classification aswell!
As the term suggests, they also have tighter feathering than the 'soft' feather breeds.

Example of Breeds:-
Asil, Belgian Game, Indian Game, Shamo, Malay,Modern Game, Old English Game, Rumpless Game ,Tuzu,

Also, I know what crumbles are, and what pellets are, but when you say you feed a "mash," what do you mean by "mash?" Does it mean you are moistening the feed to a wet, mushy consistency?

Mash is simply ground feed, it sometimes resembles corn meal but can be coarser.
From left to right Mash, Crumble then pellet.

Chris​

 

[emilysteng]

I've just skimmed through this entire topic and it's quite interesting. My chicken friends are feral but I feed them pellets and scratch once or more a day. My special chicken friend, Casino, who is more of a pet, really loves scratch more than anything. The scratch I buy I get by the pound from the local hatchery. Don't know where they get it but they told me it's just cracked corn, wheat and soybean oil? I've been giving flock raiser crumble for main feed. Casino will eat some of the crumble and then only wants to eat scratch and other treats after that. She and her gang - a rooster and two other hens - run around free all day and I assume eat alot of other things - plants, berries they may find, insects, geckos (everyone's favorite). I let Casino eat as much crumble as she wants and when she's finished I give her as much scratch as she wants. I just want her to get as much to eat as she wants as she has been going through some problems.

This summer I realized she had been laying internally and she went to the vet a few times who gave her Lupron to stop her ovulation. She's been doing ok but it looks like she has started ovulating again.

Anyway, my whole point in posting this is just wondering if this seems like an ok ration for her. Her rooster and one of the hens who also come to eat (the third hen they hang out is too scared to come) seem like they can't get enough of anything I throw down while Casino will eat crumble for a few minutes and then scratch for a few minutes and then she's done.

Here are the three of them relaxing after eating.

The other two (Scrando and Big Momma) picking up every last crumb I threw down.

My girl Casino

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Diet sounds good, but if you were to worm them it may help. Since they are feral maybe put out some water with wormer in it, wazine would be good to start with. they are pretty.

 

[emilysteng]

Thanks! Actually Casino did get wormed since she went to the vet so she should be all set. The other two I really only feed because they would eat all of Casino's food if I didn't give them some too. Can't really worm them through their water because they just drink everywhere - any puddles, etc they may find. I can't touch the other two and catching Casino to get her to the vet is quite the chase also. They really are wild chickens after all. They sleep up in the trees at night.

Well, as long as this diet sounds ok I will continue. I worry she eats too much scratch vs feed but it sounds like there are alot of differing opinions on whether scratch is just candy or if it's good. Since she is feral maybe it's ok cause it seems they seem to know what they need and get it out in the wild. I also give treats like cheese etc. She used to love blueberries but since her last bout at the vet she doesn't want them anymore. Now she only likes cheese. I give her cheddar (the real stuff). Does it matter what kind of cheese I give her? Are there any that are better/worse than others?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Cheese would be okay but I wouldn't give much. So Casino is feral too? Did some one just dump them? Since they live wild they probably know where all the good stuff is, my games/and game crosses pretty much live off the land, they do love scratch and mealworms and i do offer Purina FR but they leave the yard and pretty much stay gone all day. Now that winter is setting in I'm sure like last year they will be eating more at home. Do these chickens ever produce off spring?

 

[emilysteng]

Yes, I don't know if you know, but there are tons of feral chickens here in hawaii. Casino showed up over 2 years ago but was different from the rest because she was already comfortable around people as a young - maybe 1 month old - little girl. We wonder if maybe someone did dump her but we'll never know.

Scrando was the scrawniest boy of another hen who showed up last year kind of like Casino - kind of comfortable with humans. I liked him best out of his brothers and he decided moved up to where Casino lives and took up with her. His mom and one of the chicks disappeared though. Don't know what happened to them.

Big Momma has always been feral I guess and has been around for quite a long time. As long as Casino. Only recently did she start being a little more comfortable around us. She has been in various flocks with Casino and different roosters and has several batches of kids. One of them is the other hen ( I think) who hangs around with the three of them but is scared of us.

Casino had one batch of kids last year - two boys - who grew up nicely and then both proceeded to run away. At least I believe that is what happened to them. Casino had already shunned them and I think they had to go off and find their own territory.

I generally give Casino some chunks of cheese once a day. Maybe total for one day would be the size of a ping pong ball? Maybe less actually. Is that too much?

Sounds like your game chickens eat similarly to my friends. I feel bad for the other hen who is scared of us. After the three of them eat they go and relax and you can see/hear her in the bushes so busy scratching around looking for food. But maybe she is healthier because of it. I don't know.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I didn't know Hawaii had alot of feral chickens,but I don't know too much about the inner workings of hawaii just the pictures of the beautiful place. Key West in Fl. has alot of feral chickens too. and theres a fellow who comes on the Broody hatch along thread that has feral Sumatras in upper New York state. they would have to be hardy birds. I don't know about the cheese but if she looks healthy and doesn't seem to be having any problems then I say go for it. your putting out feed and scratch so they are getting a good diet also. if you go on the what treats have you given to your chickens you'd be surprised at what people give to their chickens.

maybe one of these days you'll see the other hen come out and eat with her friends. I am like you and always feel sorry for the ones that are scared.

 

[chickened]

They still fight chickens in Hawaii it is illegal but not really enforced. That is why there are a lot of feral birds there. The ones in the picture are of that stock, Kelso I believe.