I am soooooooo Confused?????????? advice please

[Patricia Jane]

I feed mine layer crumbles. They will not eat the pellets. I also give them scratch as a treat only. And no more then they can eat in about 10min. Also they get scrambled egg, yogurt, kale, chard, cooked oatmeal (for winter mornings) pumpkin etc. They need a well balanced diet in order to be healthy and lay nice quality eggs. The difference btwn crumbles and pellets is the pellets are compacted, the crumbles are lose. You can see corn, oyster shells, rice hulls etc. Hope this helps.
You can always buy a bag of crumbles. If you want them to stay on the pellets mix 50% pellets and 50% crumbles. Each time you mix it add less crumbles and more pellets till all there is is pellets. They may eat it then. I tried but they down right refused so I gave the bag to my neighbor and stuck with crumbles. They know what they like. Good luck and have fun.

 

[NightsInWhiteSilkies]

I just got it!
Starter=Start growing--(6-8 weeks old)
Grower=Continually Growing --(Growing until they start laying eggs)
Layer=Laying eggs------(Egg Layers)


I wondered about that too!

Thankyou!

 

[SmokinChick]

They are chickens they will be fine.
1) Are they laying yet? If so give them a "Layer" feed, pellet or crumble doesn't matter.
2) If not laying give them a general grower type feed. Pellet or crumble doesn't matter.

I give my hens a couple handfuls of scratch in the morning. Go to a few of the big compant websites, Purina, Blue Seal... They have info clearly listed. Its all suggestion, the chicken feed police won't show up if you feed them the w"wrong" mix.

Good luck and relax. They may not care for pellets, but if they get hungry they will eat them. Just don't buy them anymore.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Switching from one type of feed to another can be confusing for your birds. I suggest a gradual transition to the pellets. It may take some time but they will make the transition eventually.


I wish you a happy new year,

Rancher

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Crumble or pellet is the shape of the food. Mash is finely ground, more like a powder. If they don't like pellets, you can get them the crumbles. Some chickens don't like the pellets as well. To use up your pellets, you can either leave it in the feeder until they start eating it or soften a bowl of it with warm water every day. They often like the moistened and softened feed a lot.

The recipe used for particular stages of a chickens life are terms like starter, grower or layer. There are also feeds formulated for gamebirds, turkeys or people with flocks with a mix of chickens and other types of birds, like the Purina Flockraiser. Only layer or breeder feeds have extra calcium in it, for the egg shells.

If your chickens are old enough that they're laying eggs, I would buy layer feed for your chickens. It has extra calcium in it, that they need to make egg shells. If they're laying eggs but you didn't buy layer feed, then I'd offer a bowl of oyster shell for them to eat when they want it. It has calcium in it.

Scratch is not a complete diet. It doesn't have enough protein, minerals or vitamins in it. You can offer some as more of a treat. A complete feed, like a layer feed, is their main diet. The scratch and scraps will supplement that, along with free ranging, which is very good for them.

I hope this helps. If you have more questions, just ask.

 

[Chris09]

Here is the basics and may help you.

Starter --
A balanced feed meant as the sole ration for chicks from hatching to twelve weeks of age.
At 12 weeks of age the birds can be changed to Grower or Developer. Starter can be Medicated or Non-Medicated when Medicated it is with either Amprolium or Lasalocid. Starter is available in Mash, Crumble or Pellet form

Stater/ Grower --
A balanced feed meant as the sole ration for chicks from hatching to chickens begin to lay, this feed can be Medicated or Non-Medicated. If medicated it will be with either Amprolium or Lasalocid. Starter/ Grower is available mostly in Crumble or Pellet form.

Grower --
Feed as the sole ration to chicks 12 weeks of age as a finisher. Grower feed is meant to feed until the chickens begin to lay, then bird can be switched to a complete Laying. Most Grower feed is Non-Medicated but some are Medicated with Bacitracin. Grower is mostly available in available in Crumble or Pellet form.

Finisher -- See above for Grower

Layer --
Feed as the sole diet to laying hens maximum production of eggs. Do not feed Layer feed to poultry, which are not in production because of the high calcium levels in the diet. This is particularly true of young growing birds. Layer is available in Mash, Crumble or Pellet form.

Layer/ Breeder --
Feed as the sole diet to laying hens and breeders for maximum production and for improved hatchability. Do not feed Layer feed to poultry, which are not in production because of the high calcium levels in the diet. This is particularly true of young growing birds. Layer/ Breeder is available in Pellet form.

Scratch Grain/ Corn (Maze) --
Is mostly used as a treat and should for the most part be feed separate from there sole feed (example - there Layer feed). Scratch should not exceed 40% of there diet when feeding a high protein feed. (Sole feed 20% protein or better) You may start feeding Scratch Grain at around 12 weeks of age.
Scratch will also very in quality, nutrition, ingredients, it may be as simple as whole corn or as complex as a 14 grain mixture.

Mash --
Mash type feed is ground feed that can vary from a fine to course texture and is the lowest priced feed.

Crumble --
Crumbled feed is basically the same as a mash but it is extruded through a mill to form a pellet then crushed into a crumble.

Pellet --
Pelleted feed is basically the same as a mash but it is extruded through a mill to form a pellet.


Chris

 

[goldies99]

scratch is a treat!...they can not live on that alone!.....(but they love scratch!)...crumbles and pellets for layers is ALL the same.....just different shape....here is a trick for you so you dont
waste all the pellets you have.....get a dish and put the pellets in it and mix it with hot water...they will love it!.....once my chickens started to lay i switched to pettets and they didnt like
them either.....they have to get use to the pellets....lay off the treats and other food for a while and they Will eat the pellets....they just need to get use to them...but try the water trick!

 

[bckyrdchknluvr]

Good idea Goldies99, if I get more pellets by accident, I'll have to try it as my birds hate the pellets. I'm cheap so I put my pellets through my food processor to grind them a little more. It works well for my small menagerie, but would not be practical for a large flock of chickens.

 

[kimisfishing]

My hens are not laying yet but should soon, I bought layer crumbles today, I have a 5 gallong bucket of scratch in the pen and that is how I have been feeding them,that goes tomorrow.....
I will try the pellets in water, sounds like a warm breakfast to me LOL
When I did try the pellets they ate the oyster shells insted of food....LOL
I will put the crumbles in the bucket and scratch will now be a treat, I also have 40 lbs of cat food that my cat will not eat so they get a hand full once a week.
they get leftovers and bread and noodles and stuff almost every day.
there is a bowl of oyster shells and I scatter grit in the pen when I think of it.
in the spring I am building a bigger coop so the food and water can be inside and I can walk in.
I am also planning on planting in my wagon so they have fresh greens in the pen when I cant let them out.

 

[ChicKat]

Quote:
Hi Kimisfishing,

I agree that it is hard to feel that you have found the right feed. Also, my experience is that when they turn their cute little beaks up at the feed, if I add a little water to it....they suddenly think it is the best stuff that there is, and will start to gobble it up. Go figure.
sounds like with all this good advice and the plans that you have -- you will have very well nourished chickens.