Chicken feed

[ChickenCanoe]

Mash is one grade of feed. Finely ground grains and legumes mixed thoroughly with vitamins, minerals, fats and amino acids.
Otherwise, feed has a binding agent added, pelletized and if crumbles are desired, the pellets are run though a crumbler.

 

[Beer can]

I don't know if all mills are the same, but I know that the bigger ones actually make the pellets first and then grind them for mash.

That doesn't make sense to me, it'd have to be ground first before pellitizing.
The mash I get is probably 50% cracked whole grains, legumes, see some green stuff in there, and then powder. Pretty much everything that goes into the pellets, minerals, yeast, a lot of stuff.
I usually wet it or ferment it first that way they don't waste any of it.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Mash is one grade of feed. Finely ground grains and legumes mixed thoroughly with vitamins, minerals, fats and amino acids.
Otherwise, feed has a binding agent added, pelletized and if crumbles are desired, the pellets are run though a crumbler.

Yep....which is why you find the odd whole pellet in crumbles

 

[writergirl]

Now a question on fermenting... How do you do it? Do you just add water to the crumble or pellets? I always thought that was something you had to do with whole grains.

 

[RoosterML]

Now a question on fermenting... How do you do it? Do you just add water to the crumble or pellets? I always thought that was something you had to do with whole grains.

I don’t, see problem solved

 

[Beer can]

Now a question on fermenting... How do you do it? Do you just add water to the crumble or pellets? I always thought that was something you had to do with whole grains.

Can be and is often done with pellets and crumble, they just keep it at a oatmeal consistency. The mash even being half powder I think works better cause it doesn't get sloppy/mushy like pellets.
It does add free pre-probiotics, but as far as all the other benefits is debatable, and I've never seen actual scientific or case studies, just a lot of the same 'talking points'.
I ferment during the summer months and am pretty sure it saves me $ but have never done side by side 'case study/trial'. I'll keep on with it even if all they are really benefiting from is the pre-probiotics.
If your interested in it lots of info on this thread;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/8695537

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Now a question on fermenting... How do you do it? Do you just add water to the crumble or pellets? I always thought that was something you had to do with whole grains.

Regular feed + water.....in the house I had a decent ferment by day 2....fed out of that, remixed with more feed + water+what was left as a "starter"....lather, rinse, repeat. My flock really just never developed a taste for it (certainly not the "they go mad for it" reaction you hear about all the time) and I like my simple feeder that I fill once a month

 

[Indoroowet]

Some of you really make a science project out of keeping chickens for fun and "free" eggs ...

I have been raising chickens (no rooster because of local law) for about 6 years now, and never changed the way I feed them after they are outside in their run and coop.

I feed them "Layer Crumble, 18%" and water, year long. Once and a while I sprinkle oyster shell in the run and the hens go find it by scratch feeding. They also get our food left-overs, such as the vegetable scraps humans do not want to eat, leftover rice, watermelon ends and fruits in season.
The Layer crumble is made by IFA a local manufacturer here in Utah.

The hens lay like there is no tomorrow and around the cold season after they moult, they slow down to a halt and then start up again in early spring.

I have 6 chickens (regulated by local law, can not have anymore!!) and I have enough eggs every week when they do lay to supply all our 5 kids and their family.

To be frank, I do not know which kind of chickens (they look like plain old brown chickens) I have but I do know they have dark brown feathers and all the eggs have brown shells. They "live" in a coop and run created to house 9 chickens, so they have plenty of ground to roam around in! (We did have one white chicken but she was so mean, we had to do away with her)

So ..., what makes it so complicated to feed chickens?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Some of you really make a science project out of keeping chickens for fun and "free" eggs ...

I have been raising chickens (no rooster because of local law) for about 6 years now, and never changed the way I feed them after they are outside in their run and coop.

I feed them "Layer Crumble, 18%" and water, year long. Once and a while I sprinkle oyster shell in the run and the hens go find it by scratch feeding. They also get our food left-overs, such as the vegetable scraps humans do not want to eat, leftover rice, watermelon ends and fruits in season.
The Layer crumble is made by IFA a local manufacturer here in Utah.

The hens lay like there is no tomorrow and around the cold season after they moult, they slow down to a halt and then start up again in early spring.

I have 6 chickens (regulated by local law, can not have anymore!!) and I have enough eggs every week when they do lay to supply all our 5 kids and their family.

To be frank, I do not know which kind of chickens (they look like plain old brown chickens) I have but I do know they have dark brown feathers and all the eggs have brown shells. They "live" in a coop and run created to house 9 chickens, so they have plenty of ground to roam around in! (We did have one white chicken but she was so mean, we had to do away with her)

So ..., what makes it so complicated to feed chickens?

How is that any different than the method most of is described here of using one feed all the time....just not a layer ration?

 

[Mosey2003]

Some of you really make a science project out of keeping chickens for fun and "free" eggs ...

I have been raising chickens (no rooster because of local law) for about 6 years now, and never changed the way I feed them after they are outside in their run and coop.

I feed them "Layer Crumble, 18%" and water, year long. Once and a while I sprinkle oyster shell in the run and the hens go find it by scratch feeding. They also get our food left-overs, such as the vegetable scraps humans do not want to eat, leftover rice, watermelon ends and fruits in season.
The Layer crumble is made by IFA a local manufacturer here in Utah.

The hens lay like there is no tomorrow and around the cold season after they moult, they slow down to a halt and then start up again in early spring.

I have 6 chickens (regulated by local law, can not have anymore!!) and I have enough eggs every week when they do lay to supply all our 5 kids and their family.

To be frank, I do not know which kind of chickens (they look like plain old brown chickens) I have but I do know they have dark brown feathers and all the eggs have brown shells. They "live" in a coop and run created to house 9 chickens, so they have plenty of ground to roam around in! (We did have one white chicken but she was so mean, we had to do away with her)

So ..., what makes it so complicated to feed chickens?

Some people like to feed what is best for an animal at various stages, some people don't. I'd rather my livestock be getting a higher level of protein and not having excess calcium hitting their kidneys when they aren't laying. You do you, they're your birds.