Official BYC Poll: Crumbles, Mash, or Pellets?

[oldhen2345]

I use pellets, but wet it down before putting it in the feeder. The hens don't seem to scatter it as much and it does add water to their diet. It has been over 100 the last few days, so the poor things need as much hydration as they can get. They seem to enjoy it too.

 

[oldhen2345]

I'm hoping my chickens like pasta, I made a whole big pot, and home made sauce. The guests I invited, cancelled 10 minutes ago. So it's just me and the chickens tonight. Their loss!

LOL, My cousin adds table scraps about twice a week. You should see those hens going after the pasta. It is really hilarious to watch them with pasta hanging out both sides of their beak and chasing each other around trying to snatch it.

 

[GC-Raptor]

is crumble or pellets better for ducks? i’m trying to switch mine over to pellets because they seem to choke on the crumble a lot (even though they have many water bowls available.

I don't have Ducks, but I see no one answered your question.
Purina thinks Pellets are better for Ducks from hatch throughout Adulthood.

I believe they are mini-pellets. GC

 

[HENS-and-MARES]

I normally use pellets but right now I have a bunch of chicks so I’m using crumble, and it is mixed with a mixture of stuff like wheat, cracked corn, and barley.

 

[BantyChooks]

is crumble or pellets better for ducks? i’m trying to switch mine over to pellets because they seem to choke on the crumble a lot (even though they have many water bowls available.

That's been my experience as well. Pellets seem to work much better.

 

[BDutch]

We have different choices over here. These are the organic options over here at my local store (like TS).

This combination of crumble with pellets is what the chickens get in the morning now:

My chickens pick out the pellets and sunflower seeds first. It contains quit a lot oyster shells and I wonder why the don't like the corn and grains? Because they like the grain mix (2nd picture) I give at the end of the day after free ranging.

Before I gave what they call mash here but is it in fact a crumble with mash. My chickens eat all of this except the fine mash (3th picture). This picture is more attractive than the real mash/crumble. It's less crumbly and colorful when I open the bag. This is cheaper and probably I will buy this next time again and mix it with pellets (also cheaper), because if I mix the left-over mash with apple cider vinegar/yoghurt/water they eat all of it.

 

[Waves]

Uhm... i don't know if it was a coincidence, but when i used mash feeding my chickens had crop problems... It's a fact that in the same time one of my chicken suffered by reproductive problems, so her crop problems were caused by the illness and not by the feeding.
Anyway, I changed the feeding with a crumble and i find that it's perfect!

 

[Cazook]

Pellets, but most of the time sour fermented in water.

In keeping with relevant conversation - the ducks seem to enjoy this better than dry pellets also. Maybe easier for them to eat without running to water bowl every mouthful.

 

[speedy2020]

Pellet work best for me.

 

[Bo Garrett]

I feed crumbles to chicks but once old enough everything gets pellets, there is just less waste. I never wet them for waterfowl or chickens because it will mold too quickly and mold can cause growth issues in young poultry as well as death and in older birds it will result in reduced or no fertility and reduced rate of lay in the case of waterfowl it may permanently damage them reproductively. In the winter I mix them 50/50 with cracked corn to give a boost of energy to keep the birds warm.

Blessings,

Bo