What's in YOUR Scratch?

[AccentOnHakes]

Title says it all. Do you mix your own or buy it from the feed store?

This is a place where we can compare.

I buy mine from the feed store. I forgot the names of the seeds in it, but they are very common in birdseed, etc. I also find the occasional stalk of some kind of plant, but very rarely and my chickens eat it anyway.

As you can see, mine contains cracked corn, the small round seeds common in birdseed, rat/mouse food, etc. and also the flat oval seeds.

 

[mamabigbird]

I don't exactly buy "scratch" but the treat seeds I get are supposed to be for horses. It's a blend of corn, oats and barley that has been coated with molasses. Called "COB" for short.
Their main food is layer pellets, and I only feed COB as a treat in winter to give them a little boost in calories. And I only give it in the late afternoon so that they will have the extra calories to warm them while they are sleeping.

 

[dsqard]

I keep it simple. Whole corn, BOSS and apple chunks. The chickens will eat all the apple first, the turkeys LOVE the corn and then they clean up on the BOSS. I feed it only in the afternoon as well but I feed it every day because it is how I get them all back in the run.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

On my BYC page is my mix that I feed if you are interested! I love to see the beautiful grains and seeds all mixed up. (It's their feed.)

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I mix oats, wheat, BOSS and millet. Sometimes I include lentils or flax.
Whatever I can find cheap which is what the mills do. (include whatever is available and cheapest at the time)
Mixing my own I can control, fat, protein, carbs and vitamins based on the season and flock needs so the treat/scratch doesn't detract too much from the balance of the prepared feed which really doesn't need supplementing.