How to prevent wet mash from compacting?

[TheCopperCoop]

Hi all, I just bought a new pullet/grower mash feed for our chicks that I'm excited about it because it's grown and produced locally and meets some personal quality standard I've set.

I'm going on day 4 of feeding this to the chicks. They all seem to dig it and I've been feeding it wet as recommended in other posts and on the feed label.

My issue is, after only an hour or two the feed get pressed down into a solid wet puck in the trough and the chicks stop eating it. Once I stir it back up and crumble it a bit, they're all back on it in a frenzy before it gets compacted again.

Does anyone else have this issue? If I add any more water it'll be like soup.
Would a different feeding vessel be helpful?

 

[jher77]

How is it getting compressed into a puck? Got a pic?

 

[TheCopperCoop]

It's just getting flattened by the chicks pecking at it and walking over it. I'll try to get a picture in the morning

 

[jher77]

Ah. They will eat it eventually. It does seem like it takes forever for them to eat the mash. I wouldn't worry too much about having to break it up.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would put less in at a time and offer dry as well. I find wet mash can go rancid quickly. I do still feed wet. I just don't put out more than they can eat in an hour. I keep dry feed available all waking hours.

 

[RojoMarz]

Agree with less at once. Also, If the weather temps are below freezing (as we are still getting), the mash will freeze into a frozen compressed blob.

 

[Isadora]

I don't know how realistic this is for you, but a feeder the chickens couldn't walk in would help prevent compacting as well.

 

[TheCopperCoop]

I just wanted to follow up and say I have had success with feeding less mash spread out among a few feeders. That way it's not getting compacted by the first greedy bunch of gals before the chicks lower on the pecking order can get to it. Also have been using less water. Just enough to get most of if to start barely sticking together and forming crumbs of sorts. Thanks for the advice all!