Chicken Scratch ~ Pt. 1

 Chicken Scratch ~ Pt. 1

December 27, 2020


(The ladies scratching for scratch!)

If you have ever fed your chickens scratch grains then you know that they go absolutely nuts for it. They scramble around pecking up the various grains and seeds as fast as they can, fighting and scratching for each last piece (hence the name 'scratch'!). It's not very nutritious, but a great cold weather energy source for the chickens and they love it!

Since its not nutritionally complete, scratch is not a substitute for layer feed, but should be considered a treat. While the mixed grains are nutritious, they only contain about half the protein that chickens need in their regular diet, so should be only given after your chickens have had a chance to fill up on their regular feed.

More importantly, the body heat generated digesting the corn and grains in the scratch helps keep chickens warm during cold nights, so it should only be fed during the colder months. It also gives the chickens something to do when there aren't any bugs or grass to keep them occupied.

All of the major chicken feed distributors sell pre-bagged scratch grains which contain a variety of grains, but you can also easily make your own. As an alternative to commercial scratch, you can easily mix up bulk grains purchased from your feed store or local grocery store.

If you really want to treat your girls, you can add some other fun add-ins to either a commercial scratch grain mix or start literally "from scratch". If your flock is any indication though, there will never be any leftovers! Thanks for reading, and stick around next week for Chicken Scratch ~ Pt. 2!

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