Why do some act like Chicken Scratch should be avoided like the plague

[dizzychicken]

When I was young, and my husband too, our grandmothers use to feed scratch along with kitchen scraps. Now everyone acts like scratch is to be avoided like the plaque. I want to give scratch but I am afraid they will quit laying or kill over according to peoples post.

 

[Dar]

I give mine table scraps and scratch all the time....with no ill affects... i use the scratch to give them something to do while they are in their run

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Maybe we should start with a description of what "scratch" is. That would help.
I noticed that people have differing ideas about what it consists of.

 

[ArizonaNessa]

It won't kill them but some say it raises the body temp of the birds causing them to not be able to cool down as well. I have no idea if that is actually true or not but if anything heats up anything here in Arizona it is to be avoided.

The reason I don't give it is because it has no nutritional value really. I just choose to give treats with a little more nutrient. Why give candy when you could give green leafy goodness? If you choose to give cracked corn or scratch grains then by all means do what you feel is best. I just choose not to use it.

 

[Dar]

i walked into my local feed store and asked for scratch ....
they gave me a huge bag of it looks like grains with cracked corn and some other stuff

 

[Katy]

I don't think it needs to be avoided....just fed in moderation. It's like if you fed your kid on a diet of M&Ms.....they'd like it much better than veggies, but that doesn't mean a diet of M&Ms would be that great for them.

 

[ranchhand]

Typical scratch grains are mostly corn, with some other stuff mixed in. It's not vey high in protein, and generates a lot of calories that make the bird warmer. Fabulous for the winter weather.

Grandma had free range chickens, they got lots of protein from bugs, lizards and worms, even the occasional snake. The scratch was pretty much all there was in the way of prepared feed at that time. So with the free ranging, scraps and scratch, they had a pretty balanced diet.

These days we have all this commercial food, supposedly well balanced, and scratch works better as a treat.

I have some chickens that free range, some that don't. In 16 years I have only lost one to illness. Don't know if that means anything or not.

I free feed commercial lay pellets, and give about 15-20% scratch during the winter. During the summer, they get lay pellets free feed, and get to free range. No scratch, but lots of scraps from the garden.

There many opinions about this, just decide what works best for your chickens and go with it.

 

[Equus5O]

I brought my girls home May 16. I'm on my third bag of Grower Feed. I'm still on my first bag of Scratch, and have barely made a dent in it.

 

[GrannySue]

a friend of mine feeds wheat only to all her birds. Peacocks, chickens, geese, ducks. They do fine, but I think they're all free-ranged with a lot of land.

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

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