Pellets or Crumbles???

[new2chickens]

I was at Tractor Supply Co and picked up a feeder (gotta take it back..I think I grabbed the wrong bottom!!), waterer, and feed. We already had scratch so I picked up a 50lb bag of 16% layer pellets. I noticed they also sell 50lb bag of 16% layer crumbles. I compared the two tags and they appear to be the same except one is crumbles and the other is pellet.
Whats the difference? Is one better? Or is it chicken preference??

Thanks,
Sarah

 

[scgamecock]

Just different shape.

 

[pips&peeps]

I feed pellets, because I feel the crumbles have too much waste. There is so much ground up mush left in the bottom of the bag that the chickens don't eat.

It's a personal preference thing. Some say their chickens won't eat pellets...

 

[chickaboo7]

My littlest of my bantys like crumble but everyone gets pellets

 

[greyfields]

Less waste with pellets. But, it's sometimes hard to get birds to actually eat the pellets if they've only had crumble. I usually just use crumble unless one is obviously cheaper than the other on special.

 

[Lothiriel]

I have fed mine both crumbles and pellets. I've noticed that the crumbles disappear faster than the pellets, and also that my hens don't eat as fast when they have pellets. when i gave them crumbles, they would gobble them up so fast they'd start to choke, gasp, and sneeze. I decided crumbles were not worth losing a chicken, so I buy the pellets now. IMHO they are better than crumbles.

 

[new2chickens]

Awesome! Well I guess I will stick with the pellets!

 

[cgmccary]

Most of my chickens will not eat the pellets because they were brought up on crumbles, I guess.

There is so much ground up mush left in the bottom of the bag that the chickens don't eat.

I do not waste any of the feed residue. I take this fine residue along with the crushed crumble residue at the bottom of the feeders and every couple of weeks, I mix it with about a gallon of Buttermilk and a cup of plain yogurt. I feed this to my chickens. They love it and the feed doesn't go to waste. Also, I use a trough feeder with a curved lip and this prevents the chickens from scooping the crumbles and tossing it out.

I was warned by a long-time poultry keeper to be careful feeding only pellets. He'd had a bird eat too many pellets in a sitting leading to its death.​

 

[bigzio]

I prefer layer mash that you buy at the feed mills where they grind and mix the feed. I've fed all three, and found the flock prefers the layer mash, and is also 18% protein which helps keep the flock heathier from the constant stress from laying. I have also noticed alot less wasted feed, with the layer mash.

bigzio

 

[airmom1c05]

My large hen and my Serama bantams will only eat pellets if I break them into smaller pellets which is quite time consuming, so I feed them layer crumbles. Since treats aren't really a good idea every day, but they expect them every day, I break the pellets into smaller pieces and hand feed to them. They think they are getting treats!