I need to get scratch for the ducks, but the store by my place has a price of 7.99 for 25 pounds. When I told a friend about that she said she gets 50 pds of wild bird seed at the feed store for 9 bucks and her ducks love it. Is it safe for the ducks? what about the chickens? I like to give both of them scratch, and I think if its ok for the ducks, the chickens would like it. She says that it has sun flower seeds in it, will the chickens eat it? I need to go to town today and when I was there before christmas, the walmart was out of scratch.
Feeding ducks wild bird seed
I'm sure it will be fine for both the ducks and the chickens as long as it isn't their only ration. The hens need the protein and calcium of a Layer diet to produce eggs.
I give my chickens wild bird seed when it is on sale--they are free range and on layer crumble so I don't worry about nutrition. I think it is better for them than plain cracked corn scratch.
i give mine wild bird seed (chickens, they use to steal it but lately i've just been letting them have it too) they love it. but the little piggys they are they eat it, corn chops, laying mash AND scraps from the kitchen.
Billys ducks must have not grown up on scraps, I put the left over stew yesterday to all, and the ducks did not like the potato's, my girls and the survivor ate everything, and Billys new chickens left the celery, carrots and the potato's. So I left it in there, poured in the lay crumbles and hope if they are hungry enough then they will eat it.
My girls still have not laid an egg since the bobcat came, and Billys are just now 6 months, I do feed them lay mash... I am wondering if my girls may be hiding theirs? Tomorrow I will hunt around when I change out the hay in the roost....
My ducks will eat anything,dog food, cat food, goat food, ANYTHING. I keep looking for cheap alternatives to the corn and scratch, which just keeps going up in price. Maybe I will try the birdseed too.
I checked this morning, only one potato in the duck pen with some lay crumbles left. Billys chickens still have lay and the stew mix, wonder what they ate yesterday? my girls have lay left, wonder if the stew filled everyone up? Will check this afternoon..
I agree the price of feed is going up, and I will go by the feed store tomorrow and look at it to see what it is like. I saw some that had everything and cracked corn, if it is that, it should be a good buy
whew I know about the price of feed. I use Mazuri Duck feed. They really don't eat a lot, it is the darn rats that come in at night and clean out the food. My ducks love finch seed and sunflower seed chips. I also give them some Chicken Scratch which is very cheap here