Crumbles vs pellets

[madmantrapper]

At what age do you folks find it OK the switch from crumbles to pellets?

 

[dirtsaver]

We never switched to pelleted feed with our girls. They do fine on crumbles and after a year with chickens we see no need for pellets. We have very little if any waste with the crumble feed and the hens have done well on layer crumbles.

Larry

 

[stcath95]

my 16 girls have had crumbles for 25-30 weeks...got pellets last time by error....THEY LOVE them...I put them out -you would think they had not had food for days....I keep 20-30 lbs in chut for constant feeding supply

 

[Chick Charm]

I switched my laying ladies last year at 19 weeks when they started to lay. Up until 19 weeks they ate the crumbles. They did not seem to like the pellets the first day but took to them on the second. Everthing was "A" ok.

 

[DaveBeaty]

I switched mine at a little less than 1 year old mainly because I was tired of the tweety birds stealing all the crumbles! Of course, the chickens shoveled 25 pounds of it out of the feeder (looking for the old food, perhaps?). Sooooooo, no pasture and no scraps until they ate the pellets! By one week they have about got the spilled pellets cleaned up.

 

[gryeyes]

I switched all mine over to pellets because I have had to admit there has been a whole lot of feed waste. Didn't matter all that much when I only had 14 or 15 chickens... but now that there are a lot more beaks to feed, that waste matters.

Some of the flock didn't like the pellets but others snatched 'em up right away. Now they're all eating pellets (except for the juveniles in the grow out coops which are still on medicated chick crumbles for another couple of weeks).

The difference is amazing. Maybe my chickens were just sloppy eaters or something... but now they snatch up the pellets that fall out of the feeders.

 

[ginormous chicken]

To the OP: I switch after I finish the start n grow and right when they are about to lay... so 20-22 weeks.
I really don't like the waste in crumble and I find if I start right after start n grow it is the easiest. It is also easier if the rest of the flock is already on it so they just follow along and eat it.

 

[madmantrapper]

I've had chickens for a few years now. I just can't remember how old they were when I switched to pellets. I want to switch them as young as possible.