Chicken scratch is a common treat that many backyard chicken owners like to feed their flock. But what exactly is chicken scratch? How is it different from regular chicken feed? And when and how much should you feed it to your chickens? This complete guide will explain everything you need to know about chicken scratch.
What is Chicken Scratch?
Chicken scratch is a mix of whole grains and seeds that chickens love to peck and scratch at. It provides some nutritional value, but is mostly fed as a supplement or treat to a chicken’s regular diet.
Some common ingredients in chicken scratch include
- Cracked corn
- Wheat
- Oats
- Barley
- Millet
- Sunflower seeds
- Mung beans
- Flax seeds
The exact ingredients can vary, but chicken scratch typically contains a mix of 2-7 different grains. It may also sometimes be called “hen scratch” or “bird seed”.
Chicken scratch gets its name because chickens will excitedly scratch and dig through the litter to find the grains when it is scattered in their run. The whole grains encourage their natural foraging behavior.
How is Chicken Scratch Different Than Regular Chicken Feed?
Chicken scratch differs from standard chicken feed in a few key ways:
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Nutritional balance – Regular chicken feed like layer pellets or crumbles are scientifically formulated to provide a complete and balanced diet Chicken scratch does not have this nutritional balance,
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Protein content – Standard feed has 16-20% protein content depending on the type. Chicken scratch only provides around 8-9% protein.
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Daily diet vs. supplement – Chicken feed should make up the majority of a chicken’s daily diet. Chicken scratch is more of a supplemental treat or snack.
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Cost – Chicken scratch is typically cheaper than standard feed.
Benefits of Chicken Scratch
While chicken scratch shouldn’t completely replace balanced feed, offering it occasionally does have some benefits:
- Encourages natural foraging behavior
- Provides some extra protein, carbs, and fat
- Adds variety to their diet
- Can be used as training treats
- Keeps chickens active and entertained
- Warms chickens up on cold days when they digest it
- Can help entice chickens back into the coop at night
- Economical supplement to regular feed
So used properly in moderation, chicken scratch can be a fun and useful addition to a flock’s diet!
When and How Much Chicken Scratch to Feed
Chicken scratch is best fed in small amounts a few times a week. Here are some tips on how much and when to feed it:
- Feed 1-2 handfuls per chicken, 2-3 times per week
- Scatter it in their run so they can forage for it
- Avoid feeding it every day, as it should not replace their balanced diet
- Feed it in the evening to help get chickens back in the coop
- Increase the amount slightly in winter to help warm chickens
- Reduce or avoid it in summer so they don’t overheat
- Chicks can start enjoying scratch at 4-6 weeks old
The exact amount to feed will depend on the size of your flock. But in general, provide just enough so they can finish it within 10-15 minutes.
Making Homemade Chicken Scratch
You can easily make homemade chicken scratch by mixing together a variety of grains yourself. This allows you to customize the ingredients to your flock’s preferences.
Here is an example homemade chicken scratch recipe:
- 1 part cracked corn
- 1 part wheat
- 1 part oats
- 1 part barley
- 1 part flax seed
- 1 part sunflower seeds
Mix the dry ingredients together and store in an airtight container. You can also experiment with adding small amounts of things like millet, mung beans, lentils, buckwheat, rye, and more.
Making your own allows you to avoid artificial colors or preservatives sometimes found in commercial mixes.
Is Chicken Scratch Good for Chickens?
In moderation, chicken scratch can be a great supplemental treat for chickens. The variety of grains provides extra nutrition, protein, and calories. And chickens relish foraging for the scattered mix.
However, too much chicken scratch instead of proper feed can lead to nutritional deficiencies or health issues. Make sure it only makes up a small portion of their overall diet.
Follow the tips above on how much and when to feed it, while still providing a complete feed as their dietary staple. Used as directed, chicken scratch can be a safe, beneficial treat chickens adore!
What is Chicken Scratch?It is relatively easy to understand chicken scratch. Chicken scratch is a stand-alone category of food, as opposed to chicken feed, which is divided into several subcategories. Regular chicken feed, like pellets, crumbles, and mashed potatoes, are your chicken’s staple food whereas chicken scratch is more like a dessert. Chickens find food like this by scratching around in the dirt and bedding seeking tiny morsels to devour. Chicken scratch can be made with a variety of ingredients combined in a manner similar to bird food. Chicken scratch is much less expensive than bird food, however. The ingredients used in scratch are usually millet, barley, rolled corn, oats, wheat, sunflower seeds, and other ingredients. Despite the fact that these ingredients are natural, they are also sold premixed in feed bags, so you don’t have to make your own.
- Cracked corn
- Barley
- Flax seeds
- Raisins
- Sunflower seeds
- Wheat
The mixture should be kept in an airtight container, and half a cup is enough for every ten chickens a day. Its fine to make as large or as small a batch as youd like, just make sure the ratios of all the ingredients are even. Its that easy! A dose of fresh or minced garlic can also be added to the mixture if you want to bolster your flocks health and prevent parasitic diseases.
Is Chicken Scratch Good or Bad? A Comprehensive Guide
FAQ
What is chicken scratch made of?
Chicken scratch, also known as scratch grains, is a type of chicken feed primarily made up of various whole grains and seeds, designed to encourage foraging and natural behaviors in chickens. Common ingredients include cracked corn, wheat, barley, oats, sunflower seeds, milo, and millet.
What is the difference between chicken scratch and chicken feed?
It’s chicken scratch, not chicken feed. It’s basically candy for chickens. Scratch is great for calling your chickens into the coop or run, when you need to, but it doesn’t have nearly the nutrients they need to remain healthy.
Do laying hens need chicken scratch?
Scratch grains are more of a luxury you can give your chickens if you wish. Since they’re not an essential part of a chicken’s diet, scratch grains are only an occasional treat, and should make up a small percentage of what you feed your chicken.
What is chicken scratch feed?
The chicken scratch is the grain mixture given to flocks to overcome the nutrition deficiencies in flocks. Regular feed is a well-balanced mixture of grains given daily for optimum performance and production. Before you give scratch feed to your chickens, make sure they are at the right age and type. You should make two comparisons: Chicks Vs.
Why does chicken scratch feed cost so much?
A chicken scratch feed with more sunflower or milo seed will charge a little extra. The reason is that these kinds of ingredients are a little pricey, even though you buy them wholesale. You may think the chicken scratch food is ready-made for us in feed bags, but it goes far beyond bagged feeds.
What is chicken scratch?
Chicken scratch is a feed that consists of various types of grains and seeds all mixed together. It is a high carb and fat treat that can be scattered outside so chickens can peck and scratch the ground to eat. Common ingredients include wheat, barley, cracked corn and oats. 2. Why is it Called Chicken Scratch?
Should You give Chicken Scratch grains?
Giving chicken scratch grains occasionally helps you establish a friendly relationship with your flocks. Chicken scratch feed combines many types of seeds, which chickens enjoy eating. The scratch feed is similar to bird food, but its price is the only difference. The pack of bird feed is pricier than the scratch feed.
What is the difference between scratch & chicken feed?
Scratch with more grain types, such as a 5-grain scratch, will cost a bit more than ones with fewer grain types like 2-grain scratch. On the other hand chicken feed is scientifically formulated to give chickens the exact amounts of nutrients they need based on age and type (chick vs. hen or egg layer vs. meat bird).
Is chicken scratch feed cheaper than bird feed?
The pack of bird feed is pricier than the scratch feed. Do you know the usual ingredients of chicken scratch feed? The recipe includes many ingredients, such as rolled corn, oats, barley, sunflower seeds, milo, wheat, and millet. Are you worried about its pricing? A chicken scratch feed with more sunflower or milo seed will charge a little extra.