Chicken Scratch - Is scratch grain good for chickens?
Everything you need to know about scratch mix for chickens
Like most chicken questions, there are many different opinions about whether scratch mix is good for chickens. It doesn’t help that the answer is complicated.
Yes, scratch mix is good for chickens as an occasional treat. But scratch mix is not good for chickens as their main source of food.
Any source that tells you to feed your chickens a scratch mix as their main source of food is just plain wrong. Even a “complete” scratch mix isn’t a healthy chicken feed and can cause your chickens to develop deficiencies and health issues.
What is chicken scratch?
Chicken scratch or scratch mix is a type of chicken feed consisting of a mixture of whole grains, seeds and legumes.
Scratch mix has many different names. It is also called scratch grains, chicken scratch, grain mix and just plain scratch.
Scratch mix usually looks a bit like bird seed or muesli. Sometimes a scratch mix is "crushed", so the grains have been broken into smaller pieces but the different ingredients are still visible.
There are many different types of scratch mix available for chickens. Some are labelled as “complete feeds” and may also contain layer pellets, and vitamin and mineral supplements.
Common ingredients in chicken scratch include cracked corn, wheat, barley, millet and sunflower seeds, but many other ingredients can be used.
Scratch mix as chicken feed – Why is scratch mix bad for chickens?
Scratch mix, even a “complete” scratch mix, should never be used as a chicken’s main source of feed.
In the past, chickens may have survived on grains thrown out by the farmer. But those chickens produced far fewer eggs than a modern laying hen and didn’t live as long either!
Modern chicken breeds have been developed to thrive on a complete layer feed. Chickens that are fed just scratch mix produce fewer eggs and have more health issues, ultimately eroding any savings you may have made by buying cheaper feed.
Chickens should never be fed a scratch mix as their main feed because:
- Scratch mix encourages selective eating
Because chickens can see all of the different grains and ingredients in scratch mix, they will automatically eat their favourite things first. But the seeds and grains that taste the best aren't always the healthiest. Instead, chickens tend to prefer sunflower seeds and corn, which are high in carbohydrates and fat but low in protein and nutrients.
Because of their preference for high carb/high fat grains and seeds, chickens that eat a lot of scratch mix are often overweight, which causes health issues and decreases egg production. Think of chickens like little kids - they'll eat all of the ice cream first, and by allowing selective eating, scratch mix encourages this bad habit!
- It causes vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Scratch mix is not nutritionally balanced for chickens, causing deficiencies. Even in "complete" scratch mixes, the vitamin and mineral supplements are added as powder or pellets. Powders usually sink to the bottom of the mix and are wasted, while pellets are wasted as chickens fill up on less nutritious feed ingredients.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies lead to health issues and poor egg production.
- Chickens that live on a diet of scratch mix usually have a protein deficiency
The ingredients in scratch mix tend to be low in protein, and this is particularly true of preferred ingredients like corn and sunflower seeds. This leads to a protein deficiency and decreased egg production in chickens fed a diet of scratch grain.
- There is more spillage and waste
Scratch mix got its name because it encourages chickens to scratch the feed. As chickens scratch through the feed looking for their favourite ingredients, feed is spilled on the ground. Not only can spilled feed become contaminated with faeces and spread disease, it also attracts rats and mice. Throwing away spilled feed every day is a frustrating waste of money!
With all of the problems, it is amazing that feed stores will often recommend scratch mix to new chicken keepers. The problem is that people buy scratch grain because it is cheap, so store employees think it is a best seller. They don't have any idea how bad scratch mix is for chickens!
When is scratch mix good for chickens?
Although scratch mix absolutely should not be used as a chicken feed, that doesn’t mean it’s actually bad for chickens.
Scratch mix is a great treat for chickens and can actually have health benefits if it is fed as such.
Studies suggest that feeding chickens some scratch mix or whole grains, as an addition to a diet of complete feed, can improve digestive health and feed conversion.
However, these studies are primarily of young broiler chickens, not egg layers. Also, in the studies the whole grain was “removed” from a complete feed, so the chickens' diet was still carefully balanced.
How to use scratch mix as a treat for chickens
A tablespoon of scratch or whole grain per bird, fed in the late afternoon every couple of days, is probably the best practice.
To keep your chickens healthy, only use scratch mix as a treat and remember:
- Provide free-access to a complete layer pellet or mash all day long
- Treats should be no more than 10 % of your chickens' diet
- Feed treats later in the day, after your chickens have already eaten plenty of feed
- Give no more treats than your chickens will consume in 20 minutes
- Always clean up any leftover feed
Although we don't normally recommend feeding chickens on the ground because contaminated feed is a common cause of disease, scratch mix is great for throwing into a grassy run to encourage natural foraging behaviour.
Scratch mix is also recommended as an afternoon treat to help fill your chickens' crops overnight.
Can I make my own scratch mix for chickens?
If you use scratch mix as an occasional treat, there is no harm making your own scratch mix for your chickens from scratch!
There are plenty of scratch mix recipes available online, or your can just throw some ingredients together. Just remember to use feed-grade whole grains. You won't get the same benefits if you use crushed grains!
However, we never recommend making your own chicken feed if it is your birds' main source of nutrition. This is because you need to carefully balance feed components to ensure your chickens are getting everything they need to thrive. Even feed recipes from popular chicken keeping websites can have a negative impact on your chickens' health!
You can learn about the nutritional value of different chicken feed components here.
The ultimate verdict: Should you feed your chickens scratch mix?
We think scratch mix is a great treat for chickens. Giving them a handful or two in the afternoon is a great way to train them to come into their coop to roost.
But never use scratch mix as your chickens’ main feed.
Happy Chicken Keeping!
Rachael at Dine a Chook Australia
