Layer Crumbles?

[PepsNick]

Does anyone know of laying crumbles instead of pellets? My girls HATE pellets. If there are crumbles for layers, where can I get them?

 

[gritsar]

Our farmer's co-op sells both layer crumbles and layer pellets. However, I buy pellets. Much less waste. The chickens don't get a choice. A chicken won't intentionally starve themselves. Given a choice of pellets or nothing, they'll eat the pellets.

 

[PepsNick]

Aright... do you know if you can get crumbles from feed stores?

 

[E.G.Glayer]

I feed purina mills layena crumbles bought at BDK Feed and Supply in Blanchester OH. But you should be able to get any brand at your local feed mill or TSC type store. They sell dumor, purina, and alot of places mix their own and offer it in crumbles.

One trick to reducing wasted feed is to place the feeders above the height of the back and below the beak of your chickens. As gritsar pointed out they will waste alot of feed if you dont take the proper precautions.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
There's a feed type store about an hour from us called Atwoods. They are very similiar to tractor supply stores. They have both crumbles and pellets.
Right now I am feeding layer pellets to my adult birds (including my roo) with oyster shell offered on the side. The layer pellet brands I have found are all low in calcium (3 to 4%). My half grown chicks are eating grower crumbles. I get both at the farmer's co-op.

 

[PepsNick]

Ok. I am still determined to find crumbles, and I just did!

 

[KybraBoss]

when my parents had the feed mill they produced both crumbles and pellets out of the same mill. I can remember the pellets being made forced through a grate of the approriate size, they made horse nuggets and other pelletized feed there as well just changing the mixes and grate sizes to suit but I was too young to remember exactly how the crumbles were made, maybe they were hammer milled (cracked) after the pelleting process but I do remember them coming from the same machine.
So if the feed store has one they should have the other but basically the only difference is the presentation.
In saying that I feed crumbles now as it suits my feeder system better than the pellets.

 

[ranchhand]

My local feed stores carry crumbles and pellets.

You can't just suddenly throw pellets in front of them, I usually mix the pellets in with the starter crumbles for at least a week.

 

[PepsNick]

o.

lol