laying mash

[chickenmansc]

My wife asked what laying mash was and I realized that I don't really know. I asked earlier about when to start feeding it, but what is it and why do my girls need it. Does it promote more eggs?

 

[cafarmgirl]

Laying mash is a very finely ground feed, finer then crumbles. As far as when to start feeding any layer feed? When the birds have started, or are about to start laying. Around 20 weeks give or take. Young, immature birds do not need the additional calcium. Layer feed does not cause them to lay more eggs, it just provides the additional calcium needed for egg production. If they don't get enough in their feed then they eventually start leaching it from their own bones. You can also supply oyster shell to supplement calcium.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Before the invention of the pelletizer, chicken feed was ground at a local mill. It was simply called mash. Mostly, because farmers often made an oatmeal type consistency with it out of the excess skim milk from the cows. Mash is still sold today at local feed mills today. It is a fresh and very affordable alternative to buying pre-made, pre-bagged, trucked in feed.

Even pellets begin as mash. The feed is then made into a pellet and/or the pellet is crushed to make crumbles.

The texture of the feed is not important, except for the flock keeper's preference. The content can be identical, regardless of the shape. Hope that helps.

I can buy starter, grower, gamebird, and layer all in a fresh ground mash form.

 

[LoneOak]

My local feed store has Starter/Grower crumbles then Laying crumbles or Laying Pellets, that's it. Everybody uses the Starter/Grower crumbles and then we debate which WE like best the Laying Crumbles or Pellets. There is no difference between the ingredients in the laying crumbles an pellets, simply how the feed is finished.