Pellets or Crumbles?

[LexsPeeps]

In search of a cheaper but still hearty and nutritional food a question arose, is there a difference in feeding crumbles or Pellets? I ferment my flocks food so it all ends up looking like soggy "oatmeal" lol but is there a nutritional difference or just a preference?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

No difference at all. They are the same but chunked to different sizes.

I use Purina Flock raiser, and I go with the crumbles, because that's all they sell at the place I get it for $3 less per bag. But also because I experience more possibility of moldy feed with their pellets, through no fault of my own.

Yep, I ferment to.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Read the label and check what it is called. The two important variables are calcium and protein, the rest are pretty close to the same in any of the different feeds. The analysis label is really what tells you the differences are. Names like Layer, Grower, or Starter give a clue but the amount of protein especially can vary quite a bit even if the feeds carry the same "name".

For most commercial feeds we buy, they make "mash" by gathering all the ingredients and grinding those up to a powder form. To make "pellets" they mix water with mash to form a paste, extrude that through a dye, and flash dry it. To make "crumble" they partially crush pellets. The form of the feed (mash, pellets, or crumble) tells you nothing about their nutritional value. The analysis label will.

 

[barred2rock]

I'd imagine pellets may stay fresher longer, due to less surface area (?).

 

[kssilkiemama]

I would take into consideration what breed you have as well. I have silkies and they do not do as well in my opinion on the pellets so I buy crumbles. I like the flock raiser from Nutrena or the Purina blue bag as well. I feel that the better brands my chickens waste less feed. The cheaper Orscheln brand mine fling everywhere in the coop!

 

[LexsPeeps]

Thanks everyone for the advice and tips

 

[debid]

If you have a feed mill anywhere near you, check them out. Mash is cheapest because it undergoes the least processing and you're making soggy oatmeal anyway.

 

[Folly's place]

It takes more expensive equipment to make pellets (and then crumbles) so many (most?) local feed mills only make mash feed. I haven't been happy with the local mill's feed, and I can get Flock Raiser fresh at my local TSC, so that's what I feed. It only comes as crumble here, although back when I fed a layer feed, I preferred pellets. Trade-offs happen! You need to pay attention to the mill date on every bag of feed you buy, and get stuff that you can use up within six weeks of milling, Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

The process of making chicken feed: whole grains are ground up, and the amendments are added. This is mash. Mash is then moistened, and extruded into pellet form, and dried. These are pellets. The pellets are then crushed up a bit. This is crumble. Mash should be the cheapest, followed by pellets, with crumble requiring the most processing, therefore most expensive. If you are fermenting your feed, and can get mash, go for that. It should be cheaper. When ever you buy feed, look at the nutritional analysis and the mill date first, then look at the form of the feed last (if feeding FF)