crumble vs pellets...

[Carson213]

Some people need crumble for special needs birds, and I use the layer crumble for quail. Those quail would never be able to eat pellets, even those 'mini' pellets

that makes sense

 

[Carson213]

I feed all flock pellets, but they manage to make crumble/dust out of the bottom of the bowl. I save that and it'll be a warm mash on a cold morning. And if I ever get started on fermented feed, it'll be the first stuff into the pail to ferment.

fermented feed? i’ll have to look this up.

 

[Sally PB]

fermented feed? i’ll have to look this up.

Lots of info on the web, and also threads here on BYC. I haven't done it... yet... on my list of projects for after Thanksgiving.

 

[Carson213]

Lots of info on the web, and also threads here on BYC. I haven't done it... yet... on my list of projects for after Thanksgiving.

just looked it up...it’s a lacto ferment. i make a lot of sauerkraut recipes 20L at a time. this is literally the easiest thing to ferment...but how do you feed it to them? would you have to feed it daily? wouldn’t it be wet or do you dry it out?

 

[Carson213]

just looked it up...it’s a lacto ferment. i make a lot of sauerkraut recipes 20L at a time. this is literally the easiest thing to ferment...but how do you feed it to them? would you have to feed it daily? wouldn’t it be wet or do you dry it out?

like sauerkraut, you could just leave it in a 20-30L crock and let them feed out of it...

one thing thing i would say about lacto ferments...is that if you get an old crock, def test the glaze for lead/cadmium...otherwise that leaches out into your kraut or possibly chicken feed. the tests are cheap on amazon.

 

[Carson213]

like sauerkraut, you could just leave it in a 20-30L crock and let them feed out of it...

one thing thing i would say about lacto ferments...is that if you get an old crock, def test the glaze for lead/cadmium...otherwise that leaches out into your kraut or possibly chicken feed. the tests are cheap on amazon.

a cheaper route is a P.E.T. plastic bucket to ferment chicken feed.

I like the idea of probiotics in their feed. great concept. just trying to figure out the logistics. i don’t feed daily. i guess it wouldn’t matter if it froze since they have other feed and it wouldn’t kill the probiotics.

 

[Sally PB]

wouldn’t it be wet or do you dry it out?

Yes, you feed it wet. Not sloppy wet, but like a mash. What I've read is some people feed 2x a day, with what the chickens will eat in 15-20 minutes. They get pretty good at judging that amount. Much less waste, better nutrition, and I hear that the birds usually love it.

Good reminder about using an old crock! Thank you.

 

[ZephyrCoveFarms]

My hens despise pellets

 

[fuentemoon]

Mine won't eat pellets either. I have tried several times, when we got chicks we tried to switch when they reached the right age, away from our older hen, no go.

 

[ZephyrCoveFarms]

Mine won't eat pellets either. I have tried several times, when we got chicks we tried to switch when they reached the right age, away from our older hen, no go.

I’ve tried feeding pellets only and they peck at them but won’t eat them. I’ve started mixing two bags of pellets with two bags of the same brand crumbles and now they eat them...picky picky! my birds plow through about 400# of feed a month.