How much Scratch should I feed my Chickens?

Feeding too much scratch to your Chickens can lead to nutritional deficiencies.

There are limited Vitamins and Minerals in chicken scratch. It is a treat meant to supplement their feed and give them something to do.

Scratch is used to throw out in their run to encourage activity and keep the Chickens moving around. This is especially important in winter when there is little to no bugs or vegetation for them to forage. An active busy day will aid in keeping your flock well exercised, this in turn will encourage better sleep patterns.

A balanced diet consists of key things which come in approved feeds. I’m not saying all Approved feeds are good though. We have our own thoughts on most Pellet Feed and will discuss those in another entry.

Scratch should only make up less than 10% of your chickens diet.

The usual ingredients included in scratch are cracked or rolled corn, barley, oats, wheat, sunflower seeds, milo, and millet.

While some of those items above may have higher protein, wheat is generally only 8%-12%. A high end wheat such as “Duram Wheat” can have 12%-15%.

If your average Layer were to eat 100 to 150 grams (1/4 Lb) of feed per day, that would make the amount of scratch 10 – 15 grams (1/2 Ounce).