Scratch isn't a Staple?

[Chicken.Lytle]

Scratch is sort of like cookies. Not suited for a staple diet.

Back in the day, free range with scratch supplement was the norm. These days the norm is 16% Layer Feed Product or feed blend with similar nutrition.

In my case, I blend scratch, gamebird feed, and BOSS as well as some M-G 20 layer crumbles.

 

[jenesis536]

I agree with everyone else... scratch is just a treat. I don't leave a supply for them to have at will. Mine are on their transitional feed until they start laying and then they'll be on layer feed. They also get veggies, rice, egg shells (I cook them in the microwave and then run them through a food processor first and add them to whatever scraps they are getting), meat scraps, raisins and greens from the garden.

What do you mean you don't go out if it is raining for a couple days? To replenish their food? Mine have their feed available at all times so we don't have to replenish that until it gets low. Some days that's all they get, but I usually go out and give them some greens, raisins and throw some scratch on the ground for them to hunt and peck for but just a few small handfuls thrown all over (a couple times a week). Twice a week they get a big batch of scraps, but I expect when the weather is better I'll do that more often. Mine don't like being out in the rain, so days I've put scraps in the pen and it is raining it sits there all day and gets wasted.

 

[GarlicEater]

Greyeyes - Your advice sounds best. Grower type feed and oyster shell out for the layers.

They're doing OK but we're not getting many eggs.

Yep, around here it's feed 'em corn because that's that Farmer John did in the children's books or something along that line. Scratch is expensive!

Yes I check on them, don't go out means, I'm not out driving the car around if I don't need to in this weather, but my gals are checked on, I'll still go out and get 'em their collard greens etc.

But I won't go out and drive over to the feed store for a couple of days, want to get my "super coop" done enough to need some more straw or something for bedding anyway.

Frankly I feel as silly as the neighbor's dad .... they got sheep to keep the grass down, all well and fine, but Mr. D- elder didn't know diddly about sheep, he was feeding them fish sometimes! They'd get stunted, dwarf lambs, etc. D- jr. has had to learn about sheep out of necessity, and now they're doing much better.

In the same way, I'm gonna learn all I can about chickens so I can do right by them and get good egg production etc. Do it right.

This site is a Godsend.

 

[bluere11e]

Tractor Supply has #50 of their wild bird seed that's heavy on millet, milo, wheat and BOSS.. lite on corn for 12.00 this weekend! Sale ends Sunday!
I use this instead of scratch, plus whole oats and Layena

 

[GarlicEater]

What in the world is BOSS?

I should check prices, the land owner was getting his feed and straw etc at Poultry Farmer's which is 1.5 times the price of Silvas, because Poultry's it out on the main road and has pretty birds in cages to look at. Silva's is a big improvement but I should shop their prices vs. tractor supply. The land owner doesn't like tractor supply because he thinks they're expensive in general, but I don't find that to be so.

 

[gryeyes]

I forgot to mention I don't give scratch to my flock at all. Their usual daily treat is BOSS (black oil sunflower seed), which is higher in protein and has "good" oils. It helps promote feather growth. They eat it shell and all.

I also hand treat with dry, rolled oats, or shredded mozarrella cheese, every now and then.

Plus other scraps as mentioned by many. They're my feathered com posters of kitchen scraps.

 

[scbatz33]

Scratch grains are not the devil's food. I love reading how people say you shouldn't feed it. It's bad for your birds, etc.....

Is it appropriate for a well rounded, balanced diet? no. But neither is eating only corn on the cob and wheat bran. All things in moderation.

Birds need a certain vitamins and minerals just like people do. they have caloric and protein intake requirements as well. And, they need it to be age appropriate. Laying age hens need extra calcium where are growing chicks need higher fat and protein.

I mix scratch grains(a mix of grains, not just cracked corn) with an age appropriate ration in a 3 to 1. My birds are large, healthy solid layers.

Personally, I'd stay away from cat food. Cat food is for cats.

 

[crazeetxn]

Concur with the others. Got some chicks from a friend who said just scratch is all he gives them. Come to find out later, he also let them free range (something I don't do). Once I got them on Layer feed, started getting better eggs and they girls look a lot healthier. Like you though, thought it was good enough.

But that's how we learn

 

[GarlicEater]

We've got 22 chickens. We ought to be getting a half-dozen eggs a day at least, (some are half-grown chicks, a couple are roosters) and we're getting 3-4. Partially it's stress, 15 of 'em are really overcrowded and will be until I get my "super coop" built in a couple more days. Partially I think it's poor diet.

I just had no idea!

BOSS = black oilseed and they can just eat it shell 'n' all? You learn something new each day!

One thing that's helped, is I got 2 feeders at Tractor Supply, nothing fancy, hold 7 lbs of feed, I like the way they're designed, hard for their beaks to flick feed out but plenty easy to get in there and get it. Good stout wire hangers on the top. The only shortcoming is the top's open so I made lids out of the bottom halves of gallon milk jugs, heat a screwdriver tip with a torch and burn a nice hole in, then take some string and tie to the wire bail, up through the hole in the lid, then up to your tie point. Extra points for putting a clip on there with something to clip it to. The lid keeps the dang sparrows out of the top, poop and stray raindrops etc out of the top.

Yes this stuff can all be made but I needed a better solution NOW and I figured Tractor Supply would have something workable. They did.

I think we were wasting a ton of feed on spillage, sparrows, and spoilage. The modus operandi was to toss it onto the straw on the bottom of the cage, or put it in a dish which soon got kicked over. Or try using one of the lame little feeders we had, also would get knocked over, full of water, poop, etc.

Same with water, it was put it in a dish or use a big ol' metal waterer which would get junk kicked into the water, chickens would sit on top and poop in the water, etc.

The result is dirty straw full of poop, feed, water, etc on the bottom of the cage. The cage the land owner built is pretty cool but not big enough to really work in and I'm not a big guy. The one I'm putting a new roof on and equipping for chickens is roomy enough, 125 sq. ft., that I can walk in there, replace straw etc without the chickens feeling cornered and makes it easy enough that the work will get done. If it's not easy to use, it won't get done!

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Boy, did you open the proverbial bag of worms with this question. You've gotten as many opinions as there are forum members. Here's mine: Scratch is fine as a staple when scraps and foraging is included. I use a scoop of scratch daily in a bucket I keep in the kitchen to receive all the food preparation scraps and cooking liquids during the day, then I toss it out in the morning when I let them out and they forage in the large run I have the rest of the day.The run has mature Illinois everbearing fruit trees that drop mulberries for 10 -12 weeks during the summer and lawn clippings from my mowing also get dumped into the run. They also get any windfalls from my orchard. I've since planted apples and persimmons in the run to extend the free food dropping season. During the winter, I add a handful of dry catfood to the mix to compensate for the bugs (protein) they don't get in the winter. Ask yourself this: What did our forefathers (grandmas) do for hundreds of years before processed layer feed? Who knows what is really in those little gray pellets and crumbles?