Layer pellets or crumbles which do chickens prefer?

[jjparke]

mine will only eat crumbles. if i get pellets they scratch through them looking for crumbles

 

[Opa]

Once the crumble is gone they will eat the pellets. Just make sure what ever you put their feed in is deep enough to keep them from billing it out. Once they're used to it it will reduce your waste.

 

[goldeneggtees]

I find if I wet the pellets and mash them up a little, my hens eat more. Since that is kinda a pain, I am going to try the crumbles this week and see if they go for the crumbles. If so, I may switch - we'll see.

 

[keesmom]

I've always fed crumbles. There isn't much waste either. For some reason they just don't like the pellets.

 

[12GAGirl]

I have used the pellets since my were old enough for the layer feed, at first they acted like they were not going to eat them but I went back later in the day and the pan was clean. I feed my flock scratch grains and scraps only as treats.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I think that may be something more commonly available in the UK. Read up on Valbazen (albendazole). It's a cattle/sheep wormer and also used to treat worms in humans. Most of the wormers except wazine that you'll encounter in use for poultry are actually cattle, sheep or other livestock wormers; used "off label" to worm chickens.

 

[chuckzoo]

My hens are Barred Rocks now about 10-11 months old. They did fill out earlier and were eating well and then when it got colder they started eating less which sounds just the opposite of what many of you guys chickens are doing!

I just called our feed store and the lady told me that they do eat less in the winter as the days are shorter. She said she mixes her layer crumbles 50/50 with cracked corn. I had stopped the cracked corn because I thought they needed more protein. She also said that hers did not lose any weight because she had added the corn.

They have game bird feed but in 50LB bags - remember I only have two hens. She said they also had a 22% layer pellets but chickens do prefer crumbles.

I have a Agri-mectin Ivermectin pour on for cattle that a farmer has given me. Could I use this to worm and if so how much do I use for 2 skinny BRs 10 months old? Does it kill all kinds of worms?

I was going to get the droppings tested at the vet first.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
That's exactly what I did this year, borrow a little ivermectin from a neighbor that keeps cattle. It needs to be the blue ivermectin. I put 1/2 cc on the back of the neck - it needs to be applied to the skin, so you have some feather parting to do. For bantams, it would be 1/4 cc.

 

[twentynine]

Didn't read all the responces, so if it has been stated before, sorry for the repeat.

One of the earlier comments was crumbles over mash, mash over pellets. To the best of my knowledge mash and crumbles is the same thing. Or atleast it is here.

Laying hens are going to be on the skinny side, they put allot into the eggs. Feed them laying pellets/crumbles, doesn't matter which, cause when they get hungry they will eat. What I have found does induce them to eat a little more is to stir'em up every so often, go out walk into the run make'em move around, first stop will be the feeder.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yep. When I've gone out to the coop for something and the girls come running but I don't have a treat for them I simply grab a handful of pellets out of their feeder and toss them on the ground. They react as if I've given them the best treat in the world.