From crumbles to pellets...

[LizaBlue]

I'm still undecided as to whether I'm going to stick with pellets. Maybe the waste before had to do with the guineas which are gone now, and maybe the remaining poultry just don't eat much of it because they just graze so much. My husband says he sees them eat it in the evening, but the only evidence I've seen of them eating it is the day we left them locked in the coop all day and they had no other food. We just opened the second bag we already had, and with the temperature drop, surely grazing will be less productive. We'll see if they start eating more or if I truly have spoiled brats ...

 

[moodlymoo]

I really hope my chickens arent as picky. They are selective on table scraps though. They are making such a mess with their crumble I cant afford it much longer. Any idea on transitioning them? I have 2 bags of crumble left but I am also getting closer to switching them to flock raiser because everyone is off medicated chick starter, my youngest are close to 10 weeks and my oldest is about 6mo old. They all coop together.

 

[LizaBlue]

Moodlymoo, what kind of feeder are you using? We use a hanging feeder on a chain and as they grew, kept raising it to keep it just higher than their backs. It really cut down on waste - they couldn't easily "bill out" the food. If you don't have a hanging feeder, try elevating your feeder on bricks. If you use a tray feeder, try covering it with chicken wire so they can't scratch out food.

I've heard that transitioning is pretty much the same for any animal: start mixing some of the new food with the old, gradually increasing the new food amount until finally all they are eating is the new. Just do it slowly so they don't realize what's going on. Well...that's the theory, anyway, lol!

Good luck

 

[GaleFamily]

We are using a most clever feeder that we read about on this very BackYardChickens site and it has totally cut down on (eliminated?) chickie food waste. I'll try to find the link & attach, but a brilliant guy posted plans for it. It's a plastic rain gutter with end caps to hold the feed, and large PVC pipes that pour crumbles or pellets down into the feeder when the level drops. It totally works! That reminds me, I should find that post again anyway and give him my feedback!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=543565

OK I just edited so hopefully you can see the link above, which points to this neat feeder idea.

 

[coopncottage]

Hm. I recently switched my hens from crumbles to pellets... it sure doesn't seem like they are touching it. The thing is... The day that I switched from crumbles to pellets, was the same day that we lost four of our hens. So now, with just three, I can't tell if they are just not eating, or it's just because there are fewer hens (two little bantams and a barred rock) and they aren't eating as much as I'm used to seeing them eat, or if the heist of their coop-mates has turned their appetites and they are stressed. I give scraps and they free range in our yard.

But I think I'm going to mix crumbles in with it for now. Dang it. They waste so much with the crumbles that I was hoping to have a tidier coop/less waste with the pellets.

 

[coopncottage]

Quote:
OH! Very cool.... I think my husband has been looking for a project

Thanks!

 

[bobbi16]

what exactly are crumbles, are they the grower food? Im not sure what do feed my chickens since they started to lay. They are on grower. Do i switch to layer pellets not or layer mash or what???

Thanks

 

[littleflocker]

Put the mash in one feeder and the pellets in the other. Let the mash run out often so they get curious about the pellets.