Official BYC Poll: Crumbles, Mash, or Pellets?

[Joedeann]

Not much advice to offer but I absolutely love that you are trying to accommodate a roo that many others would have given up on. We’re also first timers. We have a small flock of 69 now and when I see one of my feathered friends looking a little distressed or being peckish with their feed I give it some cooked oatmeal with some local honey mixed in. It works every time. The honey has some amazing healing properties, not enough to cure almost blindness obviously but enough to boost the immune system for sure and the oats will fill his belly at the least. I’m not claiming to know how nutritious the oats are either, I just know mine love them as an occasional snack on a cold morning or evening. I wish you and your rooster all the best and would really like to know more about him.

Thank you!! He is doing great!! I’ve added not slip pads to the walkway, he can now get in all by himself. I switched to Manna Pro, the crumbles are softer and he can pick up more. It’s still warm here in VA so I stopped with the oats till fall/winter. I do make a mash out of the crumbles a few times a week and purchased Brumbles, they love them. Will definitely use the honey, thank you!!! Starting to build a new coop-more handicap accessible, lol.. He definitely has other issues, I just love him. Never figured I would be chicken lady.. haha.. trying different things folks have suggested on this site has helped tremendously, what a great bunch of people!! Good luck with your flock!!

 

[Araucana Nest]

I am 5 months into chicken ownership and cant thank BYC enough for starting this post!!​

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... The chicks love most, but at the end of the day there would be a fine layer of something black left at the bottom. They would pick everything else out. I am worried they are not getting the nutritional balance they need for egg laying.​

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... they still are picking out what they like. Like one other person who posted, i figured if I reduced the food amount, and they were hungry enough, they would eat the "bottom" of the bowl, but they didn't. Maybe i didn't let them get hungry enough.​

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My chicks are picky. They either like something or they don't. They run after a grape like a crazed soccer player, they completely ignore meal worms!​

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They have free choice oyster shell.​

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One of my chicks laid their (and my) first egg today! I know what my chickens eat go into the eggs, so I am really am trying to get this right Wonder if I am brave enough to try to make my own food some day........​

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Lots of great info on this thread. Thanks all for sharing.​

Congratulations on your chicks and your first egg
In livestock feeds there are two general terms to describe the feed: pelleted or textured. When you can see the individual grains (and your chicks can pick them out) that is textured and it has its benefits and drawbacks which you've noted. I feed my calves textured because they eat everything. But the horses, goats, and chickens get pelleted type (in crumbles for the chickens). You can't tell what grains are there by looking and they can't pick and choose what they like. It is all mixed together and nutritionally homogenized in that way. Chickens and goats are very picky when given the choice. I hope that your new feed is pelleted type. Not sure what you meant by "mixed". I hope this is helpful.

 

[Araucana Nest]

Hi, I have a rooster (about 3month) he is partially blind, he’s just not with the program. He does have a will to live, so I’m trying... he eats but not much, pecks and pecks, gets some but not enough. Do you have any suggestions with food? Should I water down the crumbles a little? Any info would be much appreciated. 1st time chicken owner.

One of my Cinnamon Queens went blind several months ago. It came on gradually. I have to keep her separate because the other hens are merciless with her. She is in a smaller pen with a baby chick that has grown up with her so she has company. When that chick becomes a full fledged roo, she will get another companion, if he doesn't behave himself. I don't have any hunger issues with her. She is always ready to eat and looks better than a lot of the other CQ, with better weight and lays better. Does your cockerel have a companion?

 

[BarredRockMotherHen]

Thank you!! He is doing great!! I’ve added not slip pads to the walkway, he can now get in all by himself. I switched to Manna Pro, the crumbles are softer and he can pick up more. It’s still warm here in VA so I stopped with the oats till fall/winter. I do make a mash out of the crumbles a few times a week and purchased Brumbles, they love them. Will definitely use the honey, thank you!!! Starting to build a new coop-more handicap accessible, lol.. He definitely has other issues, I just love him. Never figured I would be chicken lady.. haha.. trying different things folks have suggested on this site has helped tremendously, what a great bunch of people!! Good luck with your flock!!

Very glad to hear he’s doing well and it warms my heart to know you love him enough to have future plans for a handicapped coop. He’s a lucky boy

 

[ChassiNoir]

Though the outdoor chickens really don’t have a preference between crumble or pellets (no mash for them—they no likey), we feed pellets for the sake of the ducks. Supposedly pellets work better with their croups? I’m not the duck person on the homestead—they squick me out.

Now moving onto Mulan . Mulan isvery picky with what she eats. She likes pellets, not crumble. She actually prefers Nutrena’a sized pellets, but she tires of the flavour (or the texture or what ever it is she gets tired of ) and this a new food is required. She loathes thicker pellets. Too thick is far too much work for her to swallow, I’m assuming. Her majesty will let me know accordingly if she doesn’t approve by several loud, disapproving bawks and screams. Mind you, she lives inside of my house. She does not venture into the cold (as a Cochin, she’s better prepared then the outdoor chickens, but I digress), this I can only escape from any temper tantrums while I’m working. But I do love her! I promise!

 

[Cecisflock]

What about whole grain feed?

thats really interesting can you explain what that is?

 

[Folly's place]

Whole grain feeds are made up of mostly 'whole grains', not mashed or combined into pellets or crumbles. It may sound wonderful, but the whole grain feeds still need vitamin, mineral, and amino acid additions, which come as a powder. Birds can pick out the yummy stuff, and leave the rest, and the supplements tend to drift to the bottom, so also may not be eaten. If feeding this kind of diet, many people soak it in water, or ferment it, so all ingredients will be eaten.
Unnecessary extra effort, IMO, and it's easy to buy a pelleted or crumble type diet instead.
Mary

 

[TheOddOneOut]

thats really interesting can you explain what that is?

It’s made up of grains that are still whole. Which sorts, varies on brand.
Lots of members have told me I’m feeding my birds wrong - I don’t believe this is true. But I would recommend starting them on a powdered whole grain when they’re chicks, like we did. They grow up loving it, and you move on to grower and layer.
The reason some people think whole grain feeds are horrible is because birds will pick through it for the tastiest or fattiest grains and become malnourished. While this can be true, it is not I’m my case, and I’m sure of it. But I can’t say that it won’t happen with other flocks.

 

[BDutch]

Whole grain feeds are made up of mostly 'whole grains', not mashed or combined into pellets or crumbles. It may sound wonderful, but the whole grain feeds still need vitamin, mineral, and amino acid additions, which come as a powder. Birds can pick out the yummy stuff, and leave the rest, and the supplements tend to drift to the bottom, so also may not be eaten. If feeding this kind of diet, many people soak it in water, or ferment it, so all ingredients will be eaten.
Unnecessary extra effort, IMO, and it's easy to buy a pelleted or crumble type diet instead.
Mary

Whole grain feed is nutritious enough for free ranging chickens who can find lots of healthy greens, seeds, fruits and insects. A lot of people with free ranging chickens use this in as the only feed in summer where I live (in a mild climate). Is not recommend as main feed in winter where I live because there are not enough nutritious things to find when nature stops to grow and insects disappear. In winter they often mix it with complete feed.

We also can buy a mix with whole grains and pellets. The pellets complete the feed and contain the missing vitamins, proteins and minerals.. And to my surprise my chickens first eat the pellets and leave some whole grains in the bowl. But when I mix a pellet feed with a bag of grain mix the definitely don’t eat the pellets first.

 

[Cecisflock]

Whole grain feed is nutritious enough for free ranging chickens who can find lots of healthy greens, seeds, fruits and insects. A lot of people with free ranging chickens use this in as the only feed in summer where I live (in a mild climate). Is not recommend as main feed in winter where I live because there are not enough nutritious things to find when nature stops to grow and insects disappear. In winter they often mix it with complete feed.

We also can buy a mix with whole grains and pellets. The pellets complete the feed and contain the missing vitamins, proteins and minerals.. And to my surprise my chickens first eat the pellets and leave some whole grains in the bowl. But when I mix a pellet feed with a bag of grain mix the definitely don’t eat the pellets first.

chickens are finicky