Pellets or Crumbles?

[koopmaster]

So glad people are talking! Loving all the advice and info!

Me too!! All the different input and knowledge is what makes this group so much fun!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I switched to a pellet too. They do eat less, waste less, and the sparrows can't eat it, so I feed half as much. It took mixing the pellet with the crumble slowly so they barely noticed. I think about 1/2 the bag of crumble is wasted compared to hardly any of the pellets.

 

[andysgirl]

Oh wow maybe that's why crumbles get gone so fast..

 

[bk15]

I switched to a pellet too. They do eat less, waste less, and the sparrows can't eat it, so I feed half as much. It took mixing the pellet with the crumble slowly so they barely noticed. I think about 1/2 the bag of crumble is wasted compared to hardly any of the pellets.

Great idea I think I will try it

 

[DanEP]

I've had good luck feeding pellets like treats at first then filling the feeder.

 

[tomphot]

Planning ahead - I have 2 Silkies in the mini-flock. Can they handle pellets?

 

[ccyardbird]

mine will not eat the pellets, but seem to eat the crumbles just fine I have a sack of the pellets but to no good

 

[LynnsFlock]

I know this post is a few months old, but I found it looking for the same answers. I am currently switching ours over from medicated starter crumble to laying pellets, and they don't seem to like it. I have two feeders out there, one with crumbles, one with pellets. The crumbles one is always near empty, while the pellets haven't needed a refill (2 weeks now). I think it really is just preference.
My question is this though. I assume roosters can eat whatever we throw at them, since I am sure most just feed the same to the flock. But I had read on some forums, that laying pellets may make an already aggressive rooster, lose his cool. Any truth to this? I kept an older roo to protect the babies of a breed I really wanted, and I swear he is still mad I took his 3 sisters away... LOL He gives me that red eye glare, not quite confident enough to confront me, but seems to be thinking about it more and more. And he's not little, he stands, easily, 2 feet tall at 7 months old.
All the other chickens let me pet them, they will get in my lap, take treats from my hand. He won't come up to me (while I am facing him), and they won't go near him. There were a few times I thought maybe curiosity would kill the roo attitude, but he ended up strutting away.
I asked a neighboring farm that has chickens their advice, I was told to just eat him.... said I'd have to get rid of a nasty roo anyway, might as well make use of it..... Anyone have any other advice? I'd rather try to make friends with him before plans for dinner.. ;-)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Roosters shouldn't get laying feed because it will cause them to die earlier because of the calcium. Mine are fed a pelleted All flock with free choice oyster shells.

Are the feeds the same brand? Switching feed type and brand can be hard at the same time. I found it took about two bags each of mixing to switch to the pellet. I also found that they waste a lot more of the crumble so I fed less pellets.

 

[LynnsFlock]

Ahh, ok. Yes same brand, but not an "all flock". I do offer oyster shells and notice he doesn't bother with it. We are on our first bag of pellets, and like I said they hardly touch it. Should I just go ahead and get an all flock pellet? We have about 1/4th of a bag of medicated left, and I set up the two feeders separately thinking he would eat one and the girls the other. Wrong LOL And the one time I tried mixing it, the feeder ended up full of bedding material, they didn't seem to eat it, just protest. But I am guessing like anything else, when they get hungry enough, they will eat the pellets.