Does anyone feed there chickens Mash?

[vjbakke]

We did, but as others have said there was a lot of waste. We have pvc feeder and they were shoveling it out a lot. We now feed pellets and almost no waste.

 

[walbarbsa]

For some reason, my chickens think that the powder left at the bottom of the feeder is no good but if I add some water to it, they go crazy and finish it in a snap. I like this idea since nothing goes to waste.

 

[blessedchick]

I make what us "parrot people" call Chop for my parrots to have as a warm meal for breakfast. I make a huge batch of lotsa different veggies ground together and frozen into baggies to last for at least a couple of months. I heat up a bag and sprinkle the leftover pellets from their dishes onto it to make a mash to give them - and they love it! I was hoping to do the same thing for my chickens (when they're older...they're only 12 hours old) but use the dust from the crumbles instead. I give this to my guineas with their food and they gobble it up. Whatever is left over the swans pick thru...than the dogs snarf down the rest...kind of a nice food chain goin' on!

 

[TwoCrows]

Ok, I am also new to the "mash" thing, but I bought 3, 50lb bags of it 2 weeks ago. I am having a hard time getting the girls to eat it unless I "doctor" it up. I first moisten it to make a chunky, oatmeal consistancy, so it is not so fine. Then I have been adding a 10 grain ground cereal to the mash, which consists of Whole Grain Wheat, Whole Grain Rye, Corn Grits, Whole Grain Triticale, Whole Grain Oats, Soy Beans, Whole Grain Millet, Barley, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Oat Bran and Flaxseed Meal. A few handfuls of this mixed in.

They refuse to eat the mash unless this mix is added and still they pick around a these goodies, however I am sure they are getting SOME mash in their beaks, but not much.

It has been 2 weeks and they still will not eat mash "undoctored". What do I do? I have 150 pounds of the stuff!!

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Just dampen the mash, no need to add all the other stuff.
They will eat it when they get hungry.


Chris

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Just dampen the mash, no need to add all the other stuff.
They will eat it when they get hungry.


Chris

Agree. No chicken in history has starved itself to death. Mixing in chunkier goodies just encourages "picking" and "choosing" and also often encourages beaking and wasting.

I assure you, from 50 year of experience, that if you "delay" their feeding for a few hours? Say, Wait until noon to feed them? They will devour it like they haven't eaten in a week.

From then on, just plain old mash, dampened to a very thick, crumble type consistency.

 

[Pocket Money Poultry Farm]

An excerpt from the book titled “Profits in Poultry Keeping Solved” written by Edgar Briggs. Cut your hot and cold mashes entirely out. Feed yarded fowls as follows: Keep a hopper of wheat screenings, also one of beef scraps, always before them, as well as grit and oyster shells. Give a feeding of processed oats in the morning and at 2 p. m. another feeding of processed oats; at night a light feeding of cracked corn in litter to induce exercise, and your fowls will keep in pink of condition. They lay well all winter long, and colds and roup will hardly be known if they are properly housed. In the morning, when a hen comes off the roost, she is apt to be dry, especially if she is laying, and it is very essential at this time that she should have warm water to drink for cold water chills her and makes her dull and all humped up and the result is your egg yield stops.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
You have to also keep in mind that Briggs wrought that book back in 1913 and that type of feeding is not feasible in today world unless you raise your own beef.
I would also keep in mind that by keeping a feeder full of beef scraps [either raw or dyed] 24-7 that you are going to call every rodent around to your chicken feed.

Chris

 

[Pocket Money Poultry Farm]

Hi Chris, you know the book I speak of and are familiar with his poultry raising and feeding techniques. I found it rather interesting. I trade eggs to a neighbor for their beef scraps. They trim off any little piece of fat from the beef and it has quite a bit of meat on it. I cook it and remove any fat that remains. I assumed that when Mr. Briggs said, “keep it before them” that he was referring to when the fowls were awake. My birds free-range during the day; they find a lot of their own animal protein. I leave no feed out at night. So far I’ve not had a problem with vermin, animals, or rodents. Thanks for posting the link for the watering cups from Cutler Supply. I have 5 of them ordered….Happy Holidays

 

[Mskayladog]

We use a hanging feeder..I don't think that feeder would work for dampened mash. What would be alternative feeder to use? Something they won't stand in. Chickens seem to think standing and pooping in the food is good maners.