Mash, Pellets or Crumbles? Poll!

[trsturself]

You can also buy drops that take the chlorine out of water. They sell it near the fish supplies.

 

[Katt66]

You can also buy drops that take the chlorine out of water. They sell it near the fish supplies.

But on the back of all of those chlorine removers it states not for use on fish intended for human consumption.

Makes me believe it might contain something you wouldn't want in your eggs or meat as well.

At least I've never been brave enough to eat a fish I've raised simply because of the Start Right I put in the water with every water change.

 

[chews chooks]

mash its not what i prefer there are some much better types on the market but my chickens

i have 4 tika, matilda, ginger and skittle
i got tika and matilda from a battery farm and adopted ginger and skittles as chicks from my local kinder garten they were hatching eggs
but all they will eat is mash. realy auwfull on a wet day



tikka matilda

ginger skittles
these two are slightly older know couldnt find any recent pics

 

[Twinklin]

I gotta try that. However, I don't know how to de-chlorinate water. Chicago water is all chlorinated. Do you buy it or can you kindly explain the process? Thanks

Like Katt said normally you can just leave the water out for a day. I will scoop what feed the girls need for the day and then add a little more water and/or pellets to the bucket if it's needed. I just keep a cup in the work sink in the garage filled with water to let the chlorine gas off for the next day. The chlorine in the water would most likely gas off so fast when added to the ferment bucket that I agree it probably doesn't matter, unless you live in one of those areas where when you turn the tap on you can kinda smell the chlorine, then it may be too high. There's a great article on fermenting on the natural chicken keeping blog http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/fermented-feed.html

 

[ldyshrk]

A couple others have said this, but I use Bar Ale pellets. They are a bit smaller than most pellets and have some cracked corn and oyster shell mixed in. It's a really nice mix. I have bantams, some rather small and they are able to eat it just fine. The crumble I was using got lost in the ground when they kicked it around. We also have taken to putting a wooden board with a small border on it to catch what they kick out. When the food gets low they eat the stuff they kicked out, so there ends up being much less waste.

Here is information about the pellets on their website:
http://www.baraleinc.com/products/poultry/product-info/update/16Layer pak-mini pellet.pdf

 

[EggieRowe]

I have always used chick starter and laying mash from a local, family-owned mill, but they do waste it. I managed to reduce the waste by switching from a hanging feeder to PVC tube feeder, but they still shovel some of it on the floor with their faces to get at the choice bits. They've been dragging through their first molt, so I got some Feather Fixer from Nutrena. None of that stuff goes to waste or lasts long on the coop floor. Hate to sayit, but I might be switching to a pellets even though I prefer buying direct from the mill. At least the feed store I get the pellets from is a local business too.

 

[Hischick]

I previously used a custom ground organic feed, which was not crumble, mash or pellets, but we moved, so that wasn't available anymore.
I have been using "Country Acres" pellets and crumble - pellets for the adults and crumble for the chicks. The chicks weren't able to eat the pellets before, but they can now, so I will probably switch to just pellets. (Except that the crumble is less expensive...)
I prefer the pellets, but if the crumble is especially dusty, I will sometimes add a little water wet it down.

 

[B J Hopkins]

How is it that you ferment your pellets and crumbles, please?

Sorry, I miss stated. I ferment Pellets & Scratch. The mixture has to be in a plastic container. I use a 30 gal trash can w/lid. 2 parts pellets to 1 part scratch. Cover w/water and give it a glug of ACV w/the mother (unpasterized). Let the initial mix set for 4-7 days untill it gets a yeasty smell. Stir several times a day. Add water as needed to keep it at an "cooked Oatmeal" consistancy. When it gets low, repeat how you started it only you dont need the ACV every time.

There is a Thread in here on Fermented Feed (FF). Some ferment grain instead of what I use.

 

[romualdas]

Take the feed away for few days when they start wasting , they learn fast .

 

[foxmfan1]

I have no preference, but my ladies, will only eat crumbles, I tried to incorporate the pellets into their feed (usually three parts crumbles and one part scratch) cuz they make a mess with the crumbles, but my ladies, would pick out the pellets, and just eat the crumbles and scratch, lol I sat and watched my little spoiled ladies, literally pick out the pellets and spit them out. after that I quit buying pellets. LOL