scratch

[cousin dave]

how old should the chicks be to get scratch?

 

[Judy]

It depends a lot on the size of the pieces, though they don't need scratch at all. Of course they need grit to grind it, too.

 

[terryg]

I don't feed scratch at all. I keep a little cracked corn around as the reward for coming (and you should see my hens run for it! I've got a fun youtube video. http://hencam.com/faq/getting-your-hens-to-come-when-called/)
Scratch grains are fattening, and fat hens get reproductive problems. They also eat too many calories too quickly and end up getting bored and then get behavior problems. Much better to give them access to a compost pile (http://hencam.com/faq/compost-in-the-chicken-run/) to let them scratch for tidbits during the day. If not free-ranging, you can hang cabbages and provide greens.

 

[Cindy in PA]

My scratch has less fat in then my layer feed. The four grains in my scratch are in my layer feed also. Scratch is fine if you feed in moderation & it is not necessary if you do not want to feed it. I always feed scratch in the afternoon after they have eaten their feed all day.

 

[terryg]

Just to clarify, scratch is fattening, but that doesn't mean that it has a high fat content. Scratch corn (cracked corn) is especially "empty calories.".A scratch grains mix, with other grains like oats and barley, is not as fattening. Feedstores in my area rarely carry that and most people think of "scratch" as straight corn.

 

[Chris09]

I don't feed scratch at all. I keep a little cracked corn around as the reward for coming (and you should see my hens run for it! I've got a fun youtube video. http://hencam.com/faq/getting-your-hens-to-come-when-called/)
Scratch grains are fattening, and fat hens get reproductive problems. They also eat too many calories too quickly and end up getting bored and then get behavior problems. Much better to give them access to a compost pile (http://hencam.com/faq/compost-in-the-chicken-run/) to let them scratch for tidbits during the day. If not free-ranging, you can hang cabbages and provide greens.

Quote:

Just to clarify, scratch is fattening, but that doesn't mean that it has a high fat content. Scratch corn (cracked corn) is especially "empty calories.".A scratch grains mix, with other grains like oats and barley, is not as fattening. Feedstores in my area rarely carry that and most people think of "scratch" as straight corn.

Most bird that are fed "scratch grain" only are hardly ever fat, in fact most are under weight.
Also poultry eat to fill there energy needs, when they are fed high amounts of scratch they fill there energy needs quickly and no longer eat until they need to fill there energy need again.
They do not get, "bored" nor do they have, "behavior problems".

Chris

 

[terryg]

Hi Chris,
We might be talking about quite different housing and care situations. I'm mostly concerned about urban and suburban backyard hens that are in enclosed (usually dirt) pens. Even my favorite poultry manual from 1895 cautions against too much corn and fat hens. Hens that forage on pasture are far better able to self-regulate their intake.

 

[StonesChick07]

We've always mixed our scratch in with the food ( whether it be egg rations or gamebird feed) I mix 1/4 scratch to 3/4 food. My chickens are in a temporary dirt pen with no access to fresh greens but we pick and feed them fresh every day. I do the feed in the mornings and the fresh in the afternoon. The other 3/4 of scratch is fed as a treat and because they dont get alot in their feed they enjoy it like a treat. My question would be more about the laying hens. Do they need the oyster shells? Mine are not quite 5 months old and just started laying in the last week or so. I have 8 eggs out there I discovered, Im sure days late, so I left them and I've pulled 5 since the first discovery Friday.

 

[Chris09]

Hi Chris,
We might be talking about quite different housing and care situations. I'm mostly concerned about urban and suburban backyard hens that are in enclosed (usually dirt) pens. Even my favorite poultry manual from 1895 cautions against too much corn and fat hens. Hens that forage on pasture are far better able to self-regulate their intake.

I wouldn't rely much on a book put out in the 1800's, nutritional requirements are different now and the science in livestock nutrition is better now.
Corn may make other livestock, "fat" but the chances are slim that you will find a fat chicken that is fed a high amount of corn. Look at the amount of corn that is in a 16% protein layer feed it's at or around 70% corn.

Like I said in my last post Chickens eat to meet the energy needs, when the need are met they stop eating. Corn is a high energy feed and chickens will fill there energy needs sooner on a high corn feed than on say a high oat feed. Chicken will get fatter on a low energy feed than a high energy feed.


Chris