Kalmbach ORGANIC Henhouse Reserve - what's in those green pellets??!!!

[Mother of Chaos]

Yes everything besides the peas (which is what I thought this op was talking about?) breaks down into mush.

I *think* the issue is the pellets, which contain the vitamins and minerals and pre- and probiotics and whatnot. Some chickens just don’t want to have anything to do with them.

Our pullets were definitely meh about the peas and first, especially before I started fermenting, but they eat them now. Although maybe last!

 

[NoelleS]

I *think* the issue is the pellets, which contain the vitamins and minerals and pre- and probiotics and whatnot. Some chickens just don’t want to have anything to do with them.

Our pullets were definitely meh about the peas and first, especially before I started fermenting, but they eat them now. Although maybe last!

Oh they said the green things.

 

[NoelleS]

Sent too soon. I guess I misunderstood and thought they meant the green pea things.

 

[My1stChickens]

I have two elderly hens that were not eating well, and I tried Henhouse Reserve-- because of all the whole grains. They ate it well, regained weight, and actually started laying again at 9 years old. I was not crazy about the corn, so next time got one Henhouse Reserve and one Organic. The organic has lots of pellets. So I mixed them, and the girls eat the grain and leave the pellets. They do not discrimate by color, they leave all the pellets. But under duress they will in fact eat most, sometimes all. I move the pellets to a small dish, and it's ALL that's available for a few hours in the morning. I'll probably split the difference, and just go with their non GMO grain based reserve.

 

[nuthatched]

I have two elderly hens that were not eating well, and I tried Henhouse Reserve-- because of all the whole grains. They ate it well, regained weight, and actually started laying again at 9 years old. I was not crazy about the corn, so next time got one Henhouse Reserve and one Organic. The organic has lots of pellets. So I mixed them, and the girls eat the grain and leave the pellets. They do not discrimate by color, they leave all the pellets. But under duress they will in fact eat most, sometimes all. I move the pellets to a small dish, and it's ALL that's available for a few hours in the morning. I'll probably split the difference, and just go with their non GMO grain based reserve.

Whole grain feeds have to be served wet or fermented to avoid what your hens are doing now.
It's so they eat everything and get the vitamins.

 

[Kentuckiana Chicken Lady]

Thanks. Unfortunately S&P is not locally available in my part of Ohio, so it's very expensive to ship in. I have however SOLVED the issue of some of my hens not eating the green pellets and strewing them in front of the feeder...I got a replacement for the feed bin strainer from the company that makes my feeder - it looks like a piece of hardware cloth, but is made of stainless steel in a 1" grid. It's the piece I threw away years ago when I couldn't see how I'd need it, and luckily the hens back then weren't that aggressive or picky. Once I put it in for this flock, the problem pretty much stopped. When I first fill the feeder with the Kalmbach mash, there's enough feed sitting above the grid/strainer that some of the pellets are easy to reach and get tossed outside. If it's a lot of pellets, I just lock the feeder for a while...they soon get hungry enough to eat all the pellets, and then I reopen the feeder. Like so much else with these guys, all it takes is one hen to exhibit strongly a particular behavior and soon some of the others take it up. That's what I think happened with these guys and those green pellets...it probably started with one hen really hating them and starting the behavior of tossing them aside. Before the good part came in, I was able to use a piece of chicken wire cut to fit that worked almost as good. So..mission accomplished.

Thanks again for the suggestion. I'm hoping someday more feeds will get in the program and go full organic and non soy. Latest research seems to suggest that soy isn't all that bad for you, but my wife still doesn't want to have it in our food chain for now. Regards

Just FYI: scratch and peck is available through your monthly Azure Standard drop if there is one near you. (there most likely is, check the website) We get a ton of our organic "people-feed" from them and tons of people are always picking up their chicken feed at the drops too every month

 

[Princess Lay- A]

In my area of Ohio, the only 2 good and readily available organic/Non NGO/non soy layer feeds are New Country Organics (NCO - expensive!) and the slightly less costly Kalmbach Organic Henhouse Reserve (only avail in a mash). Kalmbach's feed is organic, non-NGO, and has no soy in it, like NCO's product. However, the Kalmbach feed has mixed in the mash these green pellets which my flock universally will not eat. See pic for what I consistently find at the feeder. This pic was taken early, before the feed had been out for the flock for too long; the pile is often 3 times larger by the time I get around to checking after chores. The only thing I've found I can do is a) spend the time to pelletize the feed, which they will then eat; or b) lock the feeder up, sweep the green pellets into the yard and let the flock get hungry enough so they will start to eat them. I can't believe my hens are the only ones who are reacting this way. Before I call Kalmbach about this, has anyone else experienced this with their organic feed? If others are having this happen with their hens I can make a more convincing argument with the company that there's something in those durn green pellets they need to change! I also would like to continue saving $15/bag over the NCO feed. Many thanks, F. Adelman Lazy Bee Farm, Midland, OH

They are dried split peas, My hens won't eat them unless i ferment the food.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

They are dried split peas, My hens won't eat them unless i ferment the food.

I have to disagree. I found the same thing when I bought a bag. This is an older post, but I think what Cogito was describing are the very clearly processed brown pellets with the supplemental vitamins, minerals, pre- and pro-biotic etc. They don’t look like the dried split peas.

My pullets adore the peas and turn up their beaks at the pellets. (I also ferment.)