To Scratch or Not To Scratch?

[Eggie and Me]

Our girls are 7 wks old. I've read and heard that they can have scratch @ 6 wks. I've been looking at scratch and it seems pretty big to me?? When is the appropriate age for scratch. The owner of the feed store said you never need to give chickens scratch, just fruits and veggies. Maybe laying mash IF you really want. NOW I'M REALLY CONFUSSED??

Open for suggestions.

They currently eat BETTER than we do.

Todays menu consisted of fresh corn on the cob, tomatoes, (from our garden) carrot tops, hard boiled eggs and oh yes fresh cilantro trimmings.

Yes, they are terribly spoiled, AND I LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT

 

[mrszlopez]

i personally have never seen scratch, or used it. My chickens have laid eggs & lived their lives just fine with out it. im guessing its more of a personaly prefrance ?

 

[Crest Acres Girl]

Scratch are just a mix of seeds and grains... nothing wrong with it lol just not the most nutritional thing in the world

that is why I like to use it as treats and bribes. They love it and I make them love me bwahaha

I feed them some scratch as soon as they have enough feathers to stay outside without a heating lamp.

 

[saddina]

Think of scratch as the "milkbones" of the chicken world, it's a nice snack, but you shouldn't feed henny penny nothing but scratch, any more than you should feed spike only milkbones and jerky treats.

Later you'll want to give them layer pellets, but that's because it has boosted calcium for eggshells (or supplemential calicium free choice). Here we use a hand full of scratch for the kids to "sprinkle feed" them (the feeders are too big for them to handle, so this way they can "help").

If you want to buy a bag and use it it's ok, if not, that's ok too, but keep up with the veggie and fruit peelings etc (mine like leftover side dish veggies, such as peas, so I now add salt/butter on the plate, and they get the rest left in the pot).

 

[gritsar]

In the wintertime I give them "chops" which is basically just cracked corn or "scratch" which is ground corn and looks like cornmeal. Mixed with warm water the scratch gives them a nice warm treat before a cold night ahead.
In the summer, I switch to scratch grains, which has the cracked corn but also oats and other grains.
Always as a treat only and only in small amounts.

 

[CoopCrazy]

I have given all mine scratch from 7 weeks.. I equate scratch with hay , my run has no grass and so I feed scratch to give the girls something to do.. I keep there layer feed in the coop and spread scratch outside ...

 

[JennsPeeps]

Scratch is essentially chocolate for chickens. It should be given in moderation and only as a treat. I sometimes use it to direct where I want the girls to scratch & dig.

 

[HenMamma]

My chickens would be the kids who don't like chocolate. If I give them scratch they don't even touch it! I gave almost a whole bag to my neighbor because they are snobs.