Scratch smells like....molasses???

[Badbaby05]

So I went to collect eggs this morning and the girls where "screaming" for the morning toss of scratch so I dig out a scoop of it and think this stuff is looking "funny". This is a new bag of scratch and it just looks different to the other bags I have used, so I smell it...and low and behold don't you know it smells like molasses!! It looks like some of it has been sprayed with molasses or something, would put you in mind of candy coated peanuts but of course it's coated oats, barley, corn and wheat, not all of it looks like it, just mixed in with the "normal" looking scratch. I did read the label and it says nothing of anything other than the 4 grains. Am I losing my mind???? Do they really put coatings on scratch? If so no wonder since I have opened that bag of scratch my chickens go NUTTS!

 

[B'villechicken]

It may have been left over from a run of feed for Horses/Cattle. Quite often, molasses is added to their feed. When the mill switches over, sometimes there is a residual of molasses left over.

David

 

[Badbaby05]

Ty you David. I don't know about other animal feed so you have given me an answer

 

[WoodlandWoman]

We always had a little molasses added to our feed recipe when we got it mixed. It helped to keep the vitamin and mineral powder distributed through out the entire batch, instead of settling out. Apparently it was delicious and made the sheep and chickens go wild!

I wonder if it is just some residue left over?

 

[mhwc56]

and my understanding is that molasses has alot of trace nutritious stuff in it too.

 

[Chris09]

Molasses is used to cut the dust and helps bind the feed.

Chris

 

[acid_chipmunk]

My goat feed smelled like molasses, so it could be that, too. It looks exactly the same as the scratch I get.