Pellets or crumble, and why?

[GC-Raptor]

My girls prefer pellets.
Crumbles get tossed on the floor.
If a pellet falls on the floor, they instantly pick it up. GC

 

[featherhead007]

My girls prefer pellets.
Crumbles get tossed on the floor.
If a pellet falls on the floor, they instantly pick it up. GC

Lucky you!.... My birds could eat for a month on the feed they scratch to the floor!

 

[mymilliefleur]

I feed crumbles. Why? Because the feed I buy (Tucker milling 18% non GMO grower) only comes in crumbles. I ferment the feed anyway, so it doesn't matter to me. If you are feeding it dry, pellets are probably better because they are easier for the birds to eat (less powder).

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

Seed mixes can SOMETIMES cause a problem is the birds only choose to eat certain seeds out of the mix.

I hope you are not meaning you feed scratch as their normal diet.

Oh of course not!

 

[bruceha2000]

It might have sounded like a dumb question @4 Georgia Hens but you would be surprised how often we read someone is feeding their chickens nothing but corn or scratch. Really bad diet. And no, chickens will not lay every day if you feed them whole oats, cracked corn and bread. They won't be healthy either.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Would you mind sharing the mix you use. I have to go pick up food for my 2week+ chicks today. Any suggeztions? Is this ok? Its what i have been giving themView attachment 1360046

That's what I've used except it was the medicated version. I've also used a bag of Nutrena Country Feeds starter grower and ManaPro starter. All were 18% Protein and medicated.
But by far I've bought way more Purina Start and Grow than the other two brands.
I only had 5 chicks to feed and it was easy to find 25# bags of Purina. GC

 

[sylviethecochin]

I don't ferment, and my chickens have no feed preference (they're fed twice a day, and they empty the pan both times, so they may just be too hungry to care) so I feed pellets or mash. My feed pans are just that—pans. Crumbles get scratched right out of it, and they don't get picked up. Pellets get scratched out and eaten, and mash is so fine that the chickens can't kick it out easily.

I do get starter crumbles when someone's hatched a batch (or when TSC strikes again), but it's reserved for the chicks due to the cost difference

 

[rosemarythyme]

HAS ANYONE ASKED THE CHICKENS WHAT THEY PREFER? kidding

Actually mine have voted. 3 of 3 voted that dry mash is preferable to layer pellets. 2 of 3 prefer fermented mash over layer pellets. Too bad their votes don't count for anything, because they're too wasteful with dry mash.

 

[Shepshill]

It might have sounded like a dumb question @4 Georgia Hens but you would be surprised how often we read someone is feeding their chickens nothing but corn or scratch. Really bad diet. And no, chickens will not lay every day if you feed them whole oats, cracked corn and bread. They won't be healthy either.

I once asked my husband to feed the chickens for me. Came home to find he gave them a scoopful of grit!

 

[Shepshill]

I have learned that I need to research fermented feed!