SCRATCH in summer

[kimschicks]

I read that chickens should get only layer crumble in the hot weather, except for fruit and veggies. True?

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Are you asking if it is OK to feed scratch in the Summer?
Some people believe that scratch, mostly corn, causes chickens body temperature to rise, so they use it in the cold winter, not in hot summer. I think that it is an old wives tale. But that being said scratch is not very nutritious, so I use it sparingly as a treat.
I do not vary my feeding from season to season. Free feed layer pellets, treats daily- veggies, a little meat, leftovers, cereals etc. When I go outside I'll toss them a little scratch in a mossy area of the lawn, If I'm out in the yard working, I'll give them BOSS, peanuts, birdseed after the first handfull of scratch.

Imp

 

[Judy]

There's a myth on here that scratch overheats them. All foods cause them to produce heat. Corn is converted to blood sugar and heat a little faster than protein or fat, is all. They can have scratch any time of year but the quantity should be very limited whenever it's given. It's a treat, like candy to a kid.

Assuming your scratch is mostly corn, which much of it is.