how much is 10%

[tuner06]

Hello all my question is about that 10% chicken treat how much is that 1/2 cup, 1 cup, and so on. I have 39 chickens and 11 ducks I can go through a 50LB bag of scratch a week I give out 35oz of scratch a day is that to much. I let them free range from 5pm until dark. they also eat about 15-20LB's of feed a day. they also drink about 10 gal of water a day. I also put huge piles of weed in the run every morning and by free range there nothing left but the stems. I don't feed them the scratch all at once I use it to get in and out of the run so they cant get out.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

10% is not a set amount. For example, 10% of your 35oz is 3.5oz. In either case, scratch and treats should only be small portions of their feed. That seems like a lot of scratch but I'm new to chickens

 

[Ridgerunner]

10% sounds pretty specific doesn’t it but how in the world do you actually measure that, especially letting them free range some? A general rule of thumb is that if they can clean it up in about 10 to 15 minutes you are doing pretty well. Not very precise but at least it gives you an idea.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Another point is you cannot necessarily use weight or volume for this analysis because it depends on the year. A pound of mealworms v a pound of treat seeds is very different in volume, for example. So to give 10% of your feed weight as mealworms would be crazy and expensive.

 

[DanEP]

If your feeding a balanced feed to your girls they don't need treats it's just that a treat. With good food and free ranging their getting what they need but the treats are nice kind of like a bowl of ice cream after dinner. I have 12 girls right now and go through about a bag a month Plus the heals off the bread and a few other table scraps. I am probably closer to 5 than 10 % on treats but nobody seems to be suffering from it. some days they get more some days none at all, as long as You don't go crazy and over do the treats and keep it 10% or below over all your fine.don't stress over being exact there's no need. You could cut their treats down some to make sure your not feeding to much and the only problem you'll have is the grumble soup you'll get because they want more but they'll get over it

 

[donrae]

Roughly, it would be a bag of scratch for every 10 bags of feed. If they're all the same weight. That's close enough.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

I'd have to ask why you want to feed them scratch or "treats". Feeding them extra grains only dilutes the protein and minerals in their layer ration. The mill has formulated that ration to provide specific nutrients at specific levels. They don't mix the feed in specific proportions and then dump in another 10% of grains. In the summer, when their consumption is down due to the heat, they need a higher level of protein and minerals to get the required amount into them. When it's hot outside they should given an 18% layer feed or 20% grower feed with free-choice calcium. When it gets colder and consumption is high, a little scratch on the side can give them the energy they need in the winter without overconsuming protein and minerals.

 

[shortgrass]

Well, being as my feed us ALL grain lol, I can't say how I even FIGURE 10% as treats lol... I consider treats things like mealworms, tomatoes, kitchen scraps, etc. Scratch us not considered a "treat" here, but a supplemental feed to entertain with.

Basic "scratch" feed justvhas 3 or 4 grains, usually corn, millet, oats, etc... The same grains i use in my feed. Protein is significantly lower in just scratch, but as long as they get proper protein needs from daily rations, a cup of scratch on the ground won't make too much difference in the long run.

If you really think about it lol, how many "treats" do WE eat above and beyond our normal rations? If they are just eating fatty treats, they'll get fat and unhealthy, but treating with supplemental nutrients in the form of fresh veggies and scraps actually gives them more nutrients that they may not get naturally or from the feed bag

10% would be that lol, 10% ... If you feed 2 1/2 cups of feed a day, 10% of that would be 1/4 cup. I don't even use measuring cups in the kitchen lol, a handful looks like a quarter cup