where to get scratch?

[ams3651]

I dont know where to get scratch grains. The mill where I get my feed doesnt have it, TSC says it carries it on its site but I havent seen any in the store and anyway its 50lbs which i dont need for only 8 (soon to be 6) chickens. My dad wont have cracked corn till fall and neighbors wont harvest grains till then either.

 

[dangerouschicken]

Do you have a feed and seed nearby? If not, sometimes WalMart carries chicken feed and scratch. Our local one does.

Sometimes you can find cracked corn in the small pets section of your WalMart or grocery store, or in the wild bird seed section. You can also get cracked corn at PetSmart or Petco.

Chickens don't have to have scratch. It is really just a treat. But it does help in the winter months to keep them warm, as corn generates body heat.

 

[ams3651]

I get my feed at the local mill (feed store) and they dont carry it, walmart here doesnt carry such things. There was just a Petco built but not open yet, talk about living in the boonies. You would think with having a large farm community it would be easier to find such things but when it comes right down to it the only thing we have to get supplies is TSC and Im so frustrated with them being out of things....

 

[A Carolina Chick]

I have found it at Food Lion!

 

[arlee453]

Yep, around here they carry 20 lb bags at the grocery store.(Food Lion)

As dangerouschicken says, it's not a neccessity - it's just a treat anyway, so I'd not fret too much if you can't find it locally.

 

[keljonma]

We're in a rural area too, and our nearest feed mill just closed.

Do you have a local Amish community with a general store? You may be able to get some grains there in less than 50# bags. Our local Amish store sells "bulk" grains to any size you want. I've ordered as small a bag as 5# each. You would have to mix them for your flock.

If not, how about checking your area for a local food co-op. Same idea here, you buy what you want and mix it for the flock.

I've found both to be much less expensive than TSC. The Amish store is ALL locally provided grains and the food co-op is MOSTLY locally provided grains. I like that they aren't coming from overseas and I can support another local farmer.



edited: now if I could just type!

 

[rufus]

Well, I don't have a lot of chickens, so I have been buying "bird seed" at the local CVS drug store. It is a large 20 pound bag and it is cheaper than buying at the feed store.

It is mostly milo, sun flower seeds, cracked corn and some wheat. It works for me.

Rufus