What do you use to encourage scratching in Winter?

[tigger19687]

I live in Mass, Snow, so if you don't have Snow like here then maybe hold off answering please. TY

I have a Covered 10 x 20 run for the hens during the Winter. Ground is solid in Dec/Jan/Feb sometimes into march as well. So I have Straw in there thick and will add more as the Winter progresses. Real coldness will be creeping in here very soon.
My hens are not thrilled with kitchen scraps Not that I have much. So I had a Flock block that I smashed up (pain in the ass really) and would toss some out every few days. I don't want them to not eat their Feed. They also get every few evenings a Warm mash of their Feed.
They stopped eating cracked corn man... and I have like a 5 Gal bucket full too !

So, I was thinking of getting Bird Feed or Scratch, which ever was cheaper, for them. Would like to do another Flock block but don't want to make the mess to smash it -- NO I don't want to leave it out for them to peck, they will only eat that and I want them to eat their feed.

Anyone ever feed SWEET FEED, horse is all I know ? I don't want to drive 1/2 hr to go look at tags, and TSC doesn't list ingredients on everything. I kind of what something with less corn in it.

What do you all in the Snow states toss out to encourage foraging and scratching?
Can you list what brands & names you use?

 

[HuffleClaw]

I live in AL where we rarely get any snow. So I’m not much of a help But I’m following along to see what others say

 

[sylviethecochin]

I don't bother getting them to scratch and forage. I keep an eye on them and if one girl's been on the perch too long, I take her off and drop her in front of the feed bowl. That's about the extent of it.
'
They steal the sweet feed from my fathers' cows, so his'll eat it. I don't know if they prefer it or not; his are all expected to forage, so they take feed where they can get it.

Why are you worried about getting your birds to scratch?

 

[tigger19687]

@sylviethecochin I don't want them sitting in the run Perch all day. I am not here to put them on the ground or in front of the food dish. They are used to foraging through out the day in good weather but in Winter they are contained in the secured Run.
Plus if they scratch around in the straw they are busy, moving the straw around with poop and not lazy.
I'm not talking about 'feeding' them, just enough to get them looking and moving.

 

[sylviethecochin]

@sylviethecochin I don't want them sitting in the run Perch all day. I am not here to put them on the ground or in front of the food dish. They are used to foraging through out the day in good weather but in Winter they are contained in the secured Run.
Plus if they scratch around in the straw they are busy, moving the straw around with poop and not lazy.
I'm not talking about 'feeding' them, just enough to get them looking and moving.

Mine go a bit nuts for fresh greens in the winter. Have you seen the 'cabbage ball' idea?

 

[AlleysChicks]

Mine like black oil sunflower seeds. I have a flock block that I leave out in the run in winter. I only buy 1 per winter but it lasts and they still eat their feed like they are starving.
I will toss the BOSS one day and the next I’ll toss oats or corn scratch mix. I get mine from Tsc.

 

[chickens really]

Hello. I'm here in Alberta, Canada and my Run is covered. I have a sand run. I toss in Grit, alfalfa hay and a couple times a week scratch grains.
My Birds do fine.

 

[GRB73]

Our run is covered so relatively snow free. I throw out black oil sunflower seed. That always gets them scratching. And dried meal worms. I always provide grit in a separate bowl since they aren't out foraging like other times of the year.

I use a flock block too. You can try putting it out later in the day so they get a good fill of feed before "dessert".

 

[Aceoky]

At least around here sweet feed is largely composed of corn with blackstrap molasses (makes it sweet) I'd say they will eat it just fine and scratch to find it, however unless it's different (which I doubt) it's likely going to contain a bunch of corn, negating your less corn approach.

 

[chickens really]

Here sweet feed is rolled oats in molasses and can cause fatty liver syndrome in Poultry.