Mash vs crumbles?

[nuttyredhead]

Is there a real difference here? I feed mine crumbles, but i have read that mash can be better for winter, something about having to work harder to eat?

Any thoughts?

 

[FarmerJohn3285]

I feed mine laying pellets and they eat it up just fine and lay the same...

 

[acid_chipmunk]

As far as I know, mash should be finer than crumbles. The mash I got from my feed store was almost a powder and made them all cough when they ate it. I refuse to buy it again and keep my birds on Flock Raiser pellets.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I make a mash each morning for my girls. I mix equal parts of Flock Raiser and Alfalfa pellets, cover with hot water, add equal amount of hot pinto beans or blackeyed peas, homemade buttermilk or yogurt, and whatever leftovers from the frig that 'need to be gone' plus crushed eggshells. Some days I add oatmeal (like this morning).

This morning we were about 20 degrees and the girls seemed to enjoy the hot meal.

 

[willheveland]

I feed crumbles when I first start them as chicks. Then after that I put them on mash. For me, where I am mash is about half the price. They waste some with the mash but the cost savings are still so great you can't compare. 50# of mash $7+/ 50# of crumbles or pellets $12-15. Will

 

[HAL_9000]

there really is no difference nutritionally between mash and crumble... except.... crumble is homogenous and mash is not.. meaning mash is a bunch of stuff ground together leaving little pieces of each in the mix, crumble is basically mash that has been compressed together to make pellets and then roughly reground into cruble..

the downside of mash is that the chicks will pick at mash and eat the "good" stuff leaving the rest behind and they will dig and dig at it to get all the "good" stuff.. where with crumble they have to eat it all.. they cannot pick out the corn..

mash is a mess where crumble is far cleaner and your chicks get better nutrition out of the crumble..

my 2¢

 

[swimmer]

It seems like when I use mash, there is a lot of waste.

 

[nuttyredhead]

Thanks for your responses!!! I think i will still with Crumbles!