What do you use to encourage scratching in Winter?

[GC-Raptor]

I buy a 25# bag of Purina Scratch Grains and mix in a 7# bag of Royal Wing Cardinal mix and get this. . My Golden Comets and Barred Rocks love to Scratch for it. . I get both at TSC. GC

 

[wamtazlady]

I got a small bale of nice green alfalfa hay from the local feed store. Girls love it when I toss some of that into their run. Gives them some of the green stuff they would get if they would free range in the snow. Keeps them busy looking through the pine shavings for any little bits that they missed.

 

[tigger19687]

I forgot to say that I also have Grit in the coop on the floor (help them mix the shavings) and also some out in the run in the straw. That way they are still 'looking' for grit.

FYI, Just went to TSC and looked at all the 'sweet feed' they had, goat & horse, they all say Grain millings by-product. yuck, no idea what would be in it and since I like to know what they are eating I decided not to. The flock block was like $17 so I opted for the Bird seed where it lists what is in it. Scratch has too much corn and not much else, according to the label, for me since they don't eat corn as much. I don't want to invite rodents with extra corn sitting around.

Come January I may grow some fodder for them but I usually forget it is there so they may or may not get it

 

[GC-Raptor]

I opted for the Bird seed where it lists what is in it.

What mix of bird seed did you get? GC

 

[Joyschickens]

Our Agway sells bulk seeds and other items that you could make your own based on your flocks taste to try out before buying large bags. I trained our chickens to the sound of treats shaking in a jar so, they all pay attention and get very excited to get to work on the treat that day. I have also found when putting in some new straw, put it in a pile ... they love to get to work on it - saves you time and adds some interest for the chickens. If you think your chickens are bored, my other suggestion would be to do some research on boredom busters, many ideas are low to no cost with materials you probably already have. If you need some ideas, let me know.
Best, Joy

 

[jreardon1918]

I live just south of you, in the shadow of Gillette Stadium. The coop is raised, the run is covered and there is plastic on south, west and north sides. the dust bath under the coop stays unfrozen. If the run really freezes, I will spread a bale of straw. that should keep them scratching all winter.

 

[tigger19687]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/value-mix-wild-bird-food-35-lb
35# and $10 it is the cheapest they have. Ingredients are Milo, white millet, cracked corn, wheat, black oil sunflower
I like that it has a good mix of other things that scratch does not. Read all the bad reviews of the TSC scratch that is mostly corn.

I have not opened it as it was dark by the time I got home yesterday so I left it in the car. And it is going to rain all day today so I have to plan on timing to go out. I think I also need another 5 gal bucket to put it in..... now I think I have one around here somewhere

 

[tigger19687]

I live just south of you, in the shadow of Gillette Stadium. The coop is raised, the run is covered and there is plastic on south, west and north sides. the dust bath under the coop stays unfrozen. If the run really freezes, I will spread a bale of straw. that should keep them scratching all winter.

What are you using for Dust bathing that doesn't freeze ?? I have a big pan for that but light dirt still freezes.

 

[Acre4Me]

We get some pretty cold temps and snow. But it’s our first winter with chickens, so I am a relative novice, only having chickens for 10 months (currently at 21 chickens at 2 ages)

My chickens love scratch, but it gets them moving for 15 min tops. We dump leaves and grass clippings in there, sometimes hay, so at this time of year, it’s just damp brown stuff on the ground and certain chickens seem more interested in scratching than others. Our water and feed are in separate locations, so they move around for those.

This fall, on a whim, I bought 12 Brussel sprout starts to plant in the raised bed. They grew well, we harvested the sprouts for human consumption and are left with the stalk and leaves still in the ground. Periodically, I pull up a stalk and toss it into the run. They love the leaves and any small sprouts still attached. The peck, pull, scratch till there is a bare stalk. Brussel sprouts tolerate the cold really well. If you have the space, I found this an unexpectedly useful treat.

Recently I purchased some alfalfa cubes. I added water to a couple to re-hydrate (which took longer than expected), then gave them to the chickens, but kept them in a container rather than tossing it in. This was for greens, and these alfalfa cubes are 16% min protein. Well, the chickens just weren’t sure about them...but by the next morning, one container was eaten, but the other didn’t seem to be touched, but I had put it out in the later afternoon, so maybe many of them had filled their crops with feed pellets before I gave them alfalfa.

Most likely we will toss in some hay now and again. When they get a new pile of anything, they scratch and dig for quite some time. But that isn’t an every day occurrence.

Good luck!

 

[jreardon1918]

What are you using for Dust bathing that doesn't freeze ?? I have a big pan for that but light dirt still freezes.

Peat moss, ashes from the wood stove, Sand. It is completely protected from rain and snow. Clear plastic. Here is a picture from last winter.the dust bath is just behind the bale of hay.