mash

[kelliepulido]

I having been using tsc crumbles but the local grain elevators who make up there own line of chicken food sell mash or pellets.The mash seems so fine and they don't seem to eat it as much but i have tried pellets and nobody would touch them.If they get hungery will they eventually eat the pellets. The mash why do people add water to it?And some add fish meal for increased protien where do you find that?

 

[dancingbear]

I stopped using TSC feed (Dumor, I won't buy it anymore) after some bad results-hens stopped laying for 4 months when they molted, and I got some bags of scratch feed that were full of hulls and bug poop. The hens did not resume laying until I switched to the source and feed below:

I found a small, local, family owned feed business that carries feed from a local grain mill. I gradually switched over to layer mash, and when I want to increase the protein I add distiller's grain. (25% protein) They've done much better on this. Even during molt, they don't stop laying altogether like they did before. they slow way down, but I alway get at least enough eggs for our own use during molt, and the rest of the time I have plenty extra to sell. They also get through molt faster. My chicks are healthier, too.

I feed whole corn and black oil sunflower seed as a treat, instead of scratch grain.

Why people add water to mash I don't know. They do fine with it dry. Some seem to think it needs to be cooked. It doesn't.

You might ask your mill if they also carry distiller's grain. My birds really like it mixed with the mash.

 

[kelliepulido]

whaat is distillers grain?

 

[cybercat]

Mash is fine since it is meant to have water add and then mixed up to make a thick mash feed( like mash potaotes). Chickens love it since it is moist. Pellets are excured and dried into shape. They are made of the same stuff just processed different. Many will have both on hand to swap once in awhile to give chickens some feeding change.

 

[kelliepulido]

ok then the mash needs h20 added? it is really fine like a powder,I don't know if they will eat it with water although no one seems to be eating the fine powder either

 

[cybercat]

When you add the water let it get absorbed by the feed. It should not be luquid or runny but thick and moist. I let water sit and absorb then stir it up which makes it crumble if it is not too wet. Chicks go batty for it.

 

[kelliepulido]

ok so it sounds like it will be crumbley kind of like a making a coffee cake topping

 

[kelliepulido]

wow you're right everybody is going crazy for it now.I feel soo stupid poor things were starving.I have added a can of corn or greeen beans or a little oatmeal or left over cooked ground beef and they go crazy so everybody is back to eating good in the neighborhood!And no mess they clean the bowl right up.I never realized you were suppose to add water.

 

[cybercat]

Welcome to the Chicken Mash dance. For the first month my chicks only ate mash and they did not waste any feed and grew big.

 

[cmom]

I was feeding my birds crumbles or mash. I decided to switch to pellets. At first they didn't seem to eat the pellets to well but I decided I bought the bag and they were going to eat it. All of the feed was the same brand. They did eat the pellets. As time went on they started eating more and more of the pellets. I found much less waste with the pellets.