HasSumAmi Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I was reading the article "Way Down South" in the March issue of Practical Poultry. It's about US chicken keeper, Channing Grisham. When discussing feeding his chickens the article says: "The only feeders I spotted at Channing's place were in the smaller pens and the chick brooders. This is because the majority of the birds are fed twice a day, using the scatter method. Feed is sprinkled directly on to the pen floors, which encourages them all to scratch around and find it, helping to keep them active and interested (reducing the likelihood of destructive vices such as feather pecking). The feed Channing uses differs little from what we buy here in the UK. Layers pellets are the most popular option, although Channing always mixes this with an additional 'scratch' feed, consisting of chopped corn, wheat, milo grain and sunflower seed. He uses this in a 30/70 mix, and is very happy with the results." Now this strikes me as a lot of common sense. Indeed, I have been throwing my treat mix into the run when the girls have been confined to barracks and they have spent a lot of time scratching it out. Does anyone here use the scatter method? And what happens if the run is not on soil? Can you scatter onto aubiose or hemcore for example? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Can you scatter onto aubiose or hemcore for example? I don't see why not....in fact I often chuck mixed corn in if they have to stay in the run all day. They love rootling around for it. The only note of caution I would sound would be not to put too much in for fear of attracting rodents to any uneaten food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 (rats)!!!! If you are leaving lying food around then you may be more likely to have visitors. I have Mr Rat and his family lurking around the place and as a result limit food on the ground and bring in the feeders at night time. He was seen in the daytime yesterday lurking at the bottom of my garden....YUCK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 The only food I put straight on the ground is what I know will be eaten immediately for the reasons stated above. Everything else I try to contain as much as possible. I also bring the feeders in at night, normally 30 mins or so before they go to bed (when I remember), so that if they are still hungry they'll have a quick tidy round the run for any bits of spillage before bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Ditto, I tend to scatter mealworms and raisins into their run but put everything else in a bowl so I can retrieve what they don't eat. I love scattering their mixed corn round the garden - makes me feel like a farmer's wife . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Same for me - I feed from hoppers but scatter favourite food for them, which I know will be eaten quickly! I worry about attracting rats otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 There's nothing mine don't eat! I push treats through the bars when I'm in a hurry, and have even just put porridge straight on the ground. They clean it all up. When I clean the run out and put fresh aubiose in, I usually mix some grit, and a few dried mealworms in with it - this encourages them to scratch around and spread it out around the run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I did that for a bit, but the food turned to mush when it rained and then the ground stank pretty badly and I ended up having to dig out the soil from the run. It was tiring and really really smelly. So I wouldn't. Just give them a handful or two of mixed corn or some other treat to scratch for. That's what I do, and my lot scratch round all day (and play on their mezzanine). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen&Lee Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Layers pellets stay in the feeders, but every morning I scatter treats down for them to forage for during the day. I don't think there is much left on the ground by the end of the day. I have a thin layer of aubiose in the run and rake it out throughly once a month. I have a feather pecker in the midst though, so his theory isn't working for me Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Same here - pellets in the Grub, porridgy treats in a dog bowl so I can remove it easily if they don't finish it, and the odd handful of dry treats (cut maize, barley or wheat) as a scatter feed. Knowing my lot they would ignore pellets if I scattered them (leaving them to go soggy and mouldy ) and spend all day looking for more treats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HasSumAmi Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 Thanks for all your replies. Definitely do NOT want RATS! YUK! Will continue to scatter the treats as these get hoovered up, but not the pellets. Currently I've been giving them a mix of sunflower hearts, pumpkin seeds, linseed, seasame seeds and of course, raisins. They spend ages scratching around for it, and it really keeps them busy. This is great if I can't let them out of the run for a bit. It makes me laugh when they scratch - it's like a dance: right foot, left foot, step back and peck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 right foot, left foot, step back and peck! And they all do it in exactly the same way, like they've been to classes - quite amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 right foot, left foot, step back and peck! As immortalised in the Omlet English Dictionary under "D is for ..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...