scratch

[Woodpecker]

Since I have no feed store can I use wild bird food instead? I probably would just get the cracked corn or use the sunflower seeds that I have on hand. TYIA

[bluetick]

You might ask a store that sells Purina cat and dog food products if the Purina salesman can order a bag or two of their poultry feed every month, depending on the number of birds you have. I am thinking of a Petsmart type store.

[Cyngbaeld]

They need more protein than that.

[Wisconsin Ann]

Dreamy, are you asking what you can use as a scratch feed..as in "a little something to throw on the ground to get them to come over to me and scratch the ground up" or are you asking if you can use wild bird food as the MAIN food?

Scratch, by definition, is just something extra to get the birds to "scratch" around in the ground. Usually used as a sort of treat to bribe them into going to a particular spot (like when you want them to get inside a pen so you can catch them) Or to turn over the litter in an area. It's generally corn and <something else>..oats, wheat, millet..whatever is cheap.

Corn is only 8%ish protein. Cereal grains (wheat, oats, etc.) are around 12%. Chickens need at least 16%.

If you're asking about a scratch grain (as defined above) then wild bird food works great.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by bluetick

You might ask a store that sells Purina cat and dog food products if the Purina salesman can order a bag or two of their poultry feed every month, depending on the number of birds you have. I am thinking of a Petsmart type store.

The Purina pet food co. and the Purina Livestock feed co. haven't been the same company for years.

You can see the details here: http://www.nestlepurina.com/

[Beowulf]

So kind of a tangent here...

My wife and I have been thinking about a small back yard flock for eggs, and came across a good deal on a tractor and 4 hens this weekend. The seller, an elderly gentleman, left yesterday for 2 months in Alaska and had no one to look after his hens, so he was selling the lot for dirt cheap.

To make a long story short, we ended up with an instant flock a bit sooner than I had expected, though if my wife had left me to my own devices, I would still be researching a year from now, I am sure.

The seller had been feeding egg layer crumbles in the morning, and out of date produce from his local grocery store in the afternoon. I went to the local feed store and asked for egg layer feed, and the only thing they had was Purina - http://poultry.purinamills.com/OURPR...a/default.aspx ...

So my question is: Is that Purina feed a good product?

Still working on a supply of out of date produce - all of the grocery stores in my area or corporate entities, and they like to keep close tabs on their trash

[mommathea]

I will NOT feed my chickens Purina unless that is the only thing available. My chickens lost weight and feathers would start looking nasty, and egg production when they were on Purina.
Once we switched back to the feed we were feeding previously they perked back up and started producing better.

[Woodpecker]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin Ann

Dreamy, are you asking what you can use as a scratch feed..as in "a little something to throw on the ground to get them to come over to me and scratch the ground up" or are you asking if you can use wild bird food as the MAIN food?

Scratch, by definition, is just something extra to get the birds to "scratch" around in the ground. Usually used as a sort of treat to bribe them into going to a particular spot (like when you want them to get inside a pen so you can catch them) Or to turn over the litter in an area. It's generally corn and <something else>..oats, wheat, millet..whatever is cheap.

Corn is only 8%ish protein. Cereal grains (wheat, oats, etc.) are around 12%. Chickens need at least 16%.

If you're asking about a scratch grain (as defined above) then wild bird food works great.

I just want to give them something to do in their dirt pen. I have a main feeder for them that's always full of feed so my 3 pullets are never hungry. Thanks for all the replies!

[Danaus29]

In that case a little bird seed won't hurt. You could also give them bugs and grass as treats. Those are free for the gathering.

[Wisconsin Ann]

In THAT case...bird seed will do the trick, although if you have access to HAY (particularly alfalfa hay) even BETTER! Just toss a flake in and watch them go to town.

Or give them the watermelon rinds hoooboy! or gourds, broken up. Or pumpkins. or squash, or cucumbers or....(the watermelon or melon rinds are my favorites to watch tho. they just peck peck peck at them until it's nothing but outer skin left) A head of cabbage on a spike is great for them to play with, too

[Woodpecker]

Thanks for the advice. I can't wait to try this and see what they do!

[Woodpecker]

Im going to use the black oil sunflower seeds I have as scratch. I don't need to remove the shells do I?

[mommathea]

No, you don't need to remove the shells.

[Woodpecker]

Thanks, I didn't think so but wanted to be sure.