Scratch?

[fowler_chick]

what exactly is it? and what is in it?

 

[gritsar]

It goes by different names in different places.
Here we have three products that all fall under the heading of scratch:
Scratch grains - this is cracked corn, oats, some seeds.
Chops - this is strictly cracked corn
Scratch - this is finely ground corn, looks just like corn meal. I accidently bought this last winter when I meant to buy chops. I experimented and found that my chickens loved it as a cold evenings treat when I mixed it with warm water.

I don't give mine any form of scratch during the dog days of summer. Right now, since it's cooled off a bit I'm giving them scratch grains. Come winter I'll switch to scratch. I rarely buy chops.

 

[Imp]

Mine is just dried cracked corn. Others here have said their's have other grains in it. I guess it depends on where you buy it.

Imp

 

[fowler_chick]

ok that's makes sense to me now, right now my girls are on grow crumble, the only part i'm confussed about now is oyster shell? should i start feeding that when they start to lay?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Correct. Oyster shell is to supplement calcium intake in laying hens.

 

[fowler_chick]

i was reading the oyster shell bag and it said to add 1 pound for every 20 pounds of crumble?....but i've read that it is freely handed out (not mixed).....

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I throw a pile of it out where it's protected from the weather. My hens take what they want. When the pile gets low, I add more. Their eggs always have nice strong shells. I think it's easy to over complicate things with chickens.