Check your Feed bag tags UPDATED

[Sunny Side Up]

I too prefer pellets, there's much less wasted when spilled on the ground. All my chickens eat it, from the tinest Dutch Bantams to the big Embden geese. Many brands of feed use only one type of design for their feed bags, you have to read the tag sewn on the bottom seam to see what's inside. I think Layena even uses a different color tag for their pellets, a bright yellow one instead of a white one for crumbles.

I think chickens are more likely to choke if they've gotten really hungry & bolt their food when they get it. I've seen a bantam choke like that -- on CRUMBLES. If you think your birds won't like the pellets try putting it in a pan & wetting it with hot water. Mine really relish this on cold mornings.

And I agree, please change your title so it doesn't disparage Layena. Change it to something like "Read those feed bag tags!"

 

[dlfridie]

Quote:
My Serama prefers for me to grind the pellets up in my Bullet.
I then mix this in w/ the pellets, since she shares her food dish w/ the splash hen.

 

[19hhbelgian]

Quote:
My Serama prefers for me to grind the pellets up in my Bullet.
I then mix this in w/ the pellets, since she shares her food dish w/ the splash hen.

Thanks for sharing! I think I'll switch to pellets for the bigger guys but stick with smaller stuff for my seramas

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Agreed on both points.

When I get feed, I inspect each bag before it's loaded. I check the tag on the bottom seam and I also feel the bag for any clumping, because feed that has gotten wet can kill a chicken.
Chicks get starter crumble feed until 18 weeks. At that time I start mixing in layer pellets and they all do fine, even the tiny bantam cochins.
Letting them bolt the food down after having been without is very dangerous. Better to put out a very small amount and add more bit by bit.
It IS hard to get chickens used to crumbles to accept pellets suddenly, so go very slowly with them.

 

[ChickyLaura]

Oh, I was scared when I saw this title because I feed my chickens Layena! My heart started pounding.

We bought a bag of pellets "by mistake" a few weeks ago at TSC. The chickens ate it without any problem.

 

[snowhorse]

Quote:
Agreed.

I agree. I had a heart attack thinking there was something wrong with the product like a recall or something harmful!

 

[Southernbelle]

Even my teeny tiny Seramas can handle the pellets just fine.

 

[Bookworm chick]

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I have bantams and they've never had a problem with pellets.

 

[blueskylen]

my girls prefer the crumbles for some reason - they eat them way better than they did the pellets

 

[weirdmuse]

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How's this:

I've never had problems with pellets on any size of adult chicken, whether bantam or large breed. I prefer pellets cuz it seems as though there is less waste and much less dust to cause breathing problems.