Wild ancestors of modern chickens spent their days foraging through meadows and forests in search of food. That natural feeding and pecking instinct still survives, and scattering a few handfuls of scratch grains for your poultry will help satisfy those instincts and keep birds content.
Scratch grains are high in carbohydrates and low in protein. They are not a complete feed; instead, they are an occasional, tasty treat for your layers, broilers, turkeys, geese, ducks and pheasants.
To properly digest their food, chickens occasionally swallow tiny stones (called “grit”) that lodge in the gizzard. This powerful muscle grinds feed and tough seeds against grit to aid digestion. Free-range birds usually find the pebbles they need but confined chickens should have grit scattered along with their scratch grains.
