Pellets or crumbles

[Orprahlorp]

I have 5 month old large breed chickens and have always fed crumbles. Are there pros to feeding pellets?

 

[horselover101]

I think the only pros to feed them pellets is there's less waste then crumbles! I feed my hens pellets!

 

[mtngirl35]

I think the only pros to feed them pellets is there's less waste then crumbles! I feed my hens pellets!

I agree. I'm on starter crumbles right now because I have 17 week old pullets and the mess and waste is unbelievable! I can't wait to go back to layer pellets. The girls clean up after themselves when they have pellets. No wasted food left on the ground.

 

[LoneOak]

Generally with layer feed there is no difference in the ingredients of pellets or crumbles. The feed I buy starts life as pellets and is then ground into crumbles. Crumbles are made to be delivered by screw conveyors in large layer houses and tend to cause big messes when used in small feeders designed for small flock use.

To eliminate as much waste as possible, feed pellets and keep your feeder at bird chest height or slightly higher. This causes the birds to have to reach a little for their feed and it makes it more difficult for them to scatter it out on the ground.

 

[Folly's place]

Grower feeds are crumbles, and layer feeds come either as crumbles, mash, or pellets. When your birds are actually laying eggs, switch to layer pellets. Mary

 

[chicmom]

When I fed my chickens the layer crumbles, it seemed like so much of it was on the floor, wasted. So I switched to the pellets a few months ago, and there's virtually no waste. So I like the pellets for my hens.

I even check for wasted pellets under the pine shavings when I clean out the coop, and I never find wasted pellets.

 

[CrazyTalk]

If you're having waste issues with crumble, it's a FEEDER issue, not a feed issue. The PVC feeders often seen on here will serve up crumble without any waste.