What do you use to encourage scratching in Winter?

[MissChick@dee]

I tend to give more dry treats in winter things that don’t freeze in minutes. Oatmeal,flax seeds, cracked corn, black oil sunflower seeds. Greens I shred with a knife so it’s quickly eaten.

 

[tigger19687]

Nice.

I don't have Ash... will have to think of something

 

[preacherjake]

@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.

I have been mixing barley and shelled corn as whole grains. Since I’m using the deep bedding method, a few handfuls of these grains and they are scratching through the bedding like I need them to.

 

[HeyHo]

I'm a novice too but, for whatever it is worth, I find that variety is the most important thing. I add shaving some days, a bag full of leaves or some Koop klean on others. A sprinkle of scratch, even a handful of their own crumbles every day or two along the edge of the run. Sometimes the girls get recess in the morning, sometimes in the afternoons. If the weather is bad, I sit in the run and pester them for a while with cuddles and pats and cut up grapes.

I have no idea whether it is anything I am doing, but the girls are all very "busy" all day long digging up dirt they dug up yesterday.

 

[tigger19687]

Wooo hooo, It is 45F outside and sunny ! Hens have been out front free ranging like it was Spring or something lol

Al though I would like Winter to get here. Being warm and having super short days is not mixing with me