Giving 4 laying hens pellets in chicken tractor, barely eating pellets

[NatJ]

I've read that the pellets hold better in storage and are better for the chickens digestion (crumble, like all powdered food, spikes blood sugar faster/doesn't provide as much satiation).

The crumbles I've seen were obviously from the same pelleting machine but broken into much shorter pieces, so I would expect them to digest at almost identical rates. (Fine powder may exist, but that is not what I have gotten when buying "crumble.")

When I have put pellets in water, they come apart into mush almost as fast as the crumbles do.

So I don't think there's much difference between them in terms of digestion. However, it may vary from one brand to another. I have only seen/experimented with a few brands, and some of my experiments were years ago.

You could do your own experiment by dropping a few pellets into some water and watching what happens, and then you would know what happens when your specific feed gets wet.

 

[sourland]

The change in environment and feed and the availability of natural feed are all factors. Continue providing pellets, and they will eat what need. Is water available at all times ?

 

[Folly's place]

Chickens hate changes, and they will eat the pellets at last, so keep them out there with them.
Is the mill date good? If there's an actual problem with those pellets, that's another issue.
Mary

 

[IslandChickens12356]

Chickens hate changes, and they will eat the pellets at last, so keep them out there with them.
Is the mill date good? If there's an actual problem with those pellets, that's another issue.
Mary

No problem with the mill date.

 

[IslandChickens12356]

The crumbles I've seen were obviously from the same pelleting machine but broken into much shorter pieces, so I would expect them to digest at almost identical rates. (Fine powder may exist, but that is not what I have gotten when buying "crumble.")

When I have put pellets in water, they come apart into mush almost as fast as the crumbles do.

So I don't think there's much difference between them in terms of digestion. However, it may vary from one brand to another. I have only seen/experimented with a few brands, and some of my experiments were years ago.

You could do your own experiment by dropping a few pellets into some water and watching what happens, and then you would know what happens when your specific feed gets wet.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1056617120300556#bib7

They use crumbles/pellets as more or less the same thing , but there is definitely a difference in growth rates. it's the same for humans eating flour/whole grains. Reducing the size/increasing the ability for faster absorption will result in decreased nutrition.

 

[Folly's place]

As I read that study, and this was asking for very rapid growth in broiler chicks, the mash fed chicks did not grow as rapidly as those fed crumbles. Mash is cheaper, but apparently less palatable, or harder for them to eat.
All three diets offered differed only in the size of each piece, not in nutritional value.
And it's difficult to discuss a bird having a gizzard to a human who doesn't.
Mary

 

[NatJ]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1056617120300556#bib7

They use crumbles/pellets as more or less the same thing , but there is definitely a difference in growth rates. it's the same for humans eating flour/whole grains. Reducing the size/increasing the ability for faster absorption will result in decreased nutrition.

So I think that article is saying that after you make all the feed ingredients into a fine, powdery "mash" it's better to stick that powder back together into crumbles or pellets rather than directly feeding the mash (powder).

Broiler chicks grew bigger, faster and had a better feed conversion ratio when fed crumbles rather than the mash. The longer they kept them on crumbles, the better they did. All groups were eventually switched to mash, so the only difference was what age they switched them at.

I find it interesting, but useless for choosing between pellets and crumbles for a backyard layer flock. Broilers, mash, crumbles are not the same as layers, crumbles, pellets. The only overlap is crumbles and all the birds being chickens.

 

[IslandChickens12356]

So I think that article is saying that after you make all the feed ingredients into a fine, powdery "mash" it's better to stick that powder back together into crumbles or pellets rather than directly feeding the mash (powder).

Broiler chicks grew bigger, faster and had a better feed conversion ratio when fed crumbles rather than the mash. The longer they kept them on crumbles, the better they did. All groups were eventually switched to mash, so the only difference was what age they switched them at.

I find it interesting, but useless for choosing between pellets and crumbles for a backyard layer flock. Broilers, mash, crumbles are not the same as layers, crumbles, pellets. The only overlap is crumbles and all the birds being chickens.

Rapid growth = increased nutrient uptake and efficiency. Whether they are layers or broilers is beside the point, I want what's the most bio-available to my flock. Also. the age that they switch them shouldn't come into consideration since it's been shown that crumbles is associated with more growth and feed conversion ratio. I'd assume that that fact would not change as the chicken got older. In extreme old age mash might be a better choice due to their weakening gizzard.

 

[IslandChickens12356]

As I read that study, and this was asking for very rapid growth in broiler chicks, the mash fed chicks did not grow as rapidly as those fed crumbles. Mash is cheaper, but apparently less palatable, or harder for them to eat.
All three diets offered differed only in the size of each piece, not in nutritional value.
And it's difficult to discuss a bird having a gizzard to a human who doesn't.
Mary

As in my reply to NatJ, if they grow faster the food is more bio-available to them.

Their gizzard is the equivalent of our teeth (to make the most similar comparison); it breaks down food into smaller pieces. The majority of the absorption of nutrients comes from the intestines in both chickens and humans. As Doctor Weil says:

"Grains in their natural form have a low glycemic index, while processed carbohydrates, including those made with flour or puffed grains, have a high GI. The reason is that it takes longer for digestive enzymes to reach the starch inside whole grains or grains cracked into large pieces, slowing down the conversion of starch to sugar.... Whole wheat bread and products labeled “whole grain” are usually made with flour. If you check a list of the glycemic index of various foods, such as the one at www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm, you’ll see that finely textured whole wheat bread has the same GI as white bread – about 70, making both high GI foods. I recommend cutting down on all products made with flour and increasing consumptions of grains in their more natural state."

No matter the animal, a spike in blood sugar during digestion will lead to insulin sensitivity, which will lead to fat retention, which will lead into cardiovascular trouble, and eventually to death.

I don't want fat, dead chickens.

 

[Katie386]

My chickens do not like pellets. I kinda can see why though, they don’t look Comfortable to swallow. If you add a bit of water to the pellets to soften them up a bit they might eat them then.