Chick feed turning into powder

[rarneso]

My chicks are 7 weeks old and just today I noticed the feed in their feeder has turned to powder. Can they eat this or should I remove and replace with new feed? Why is this happening?

 

[eggbert420]

Replace it.

 

[mobius]

Sometimes the powder or dust we find in chicken feed is from the powder added by the manufacturer which contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids needed by chickens in their feed. Especially if you are getting to the bottom of the bag, or the chicks getting to the bottom of the feeder, you may see this. In dry feed, the powder often separates from the crumbles or grain content.

People who mix their own feeds generally add this powder mix to their feeds as well to ensure that the chicken is getting essential nutrients.

What I do is ferment the feed, so that the added water improves the mix. There is no powder in this method.

 

[rarneso]

Thank you... how do you ferment?

 

[mobius]

This is the best FAQ:

https://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

This is our large thread but very educational and good place to ask questions:

www.backyardchickens.com/t/645057/fermented-feeds-anyone-using-them

 

[GC-Raptor]

My girls ignore the powder. I feed pellets and the powder will accumulate in the trough. I let them empty the 12 pound galvanized feeder

every change of season or more often if needed and dump the powder and pellets that are left in feeder and mix into the scratch grains container. I have found that the feed in the center of my feeder doesn't flow into the trough. So it'll get old and rancid. So a thorough cleaning every 3 months is a good idea. GC