Pellets vs mash

[OrpingtonManor]

Quote:
I thought I was just imagining that the pellets were lasting way too long in the feeder. But hearing this from someone else makes me feel like I am not losing my mind! Thanks OrpingtonManor!

I may just stick with the Flock Raiser instead of going to Layer Pellets next time I need feed. Or is Layer Crumbles better? I do leave free-choice oyster shell.

You can use Layer crumbles. I went back to that, although I considered Flock Raiser. I didn't check the protein levels, but thought my birds could use the extra protein after a couple months of starvation. I think Flock Raiser is for when their bodies are growing. Once they start laying, the extra calcium is already in the layer crumbles. If you think your birds are eating the oyster shell, then I guess it only matters if there is something in the Flock Raiser that you wouldn't want in your eggs.

 

[gritsar]

Mine have been on pellets since I switched them to layer feed. I will never use crumbles and believe me, they eat plenty of pellets despite free ranging all day.

I don't give them the choice. I have two picky cats and a picky DH. I refuse to have picky chickens.
ETA: If they are not eating their pellets, perhaps there are too many treats being offered.

 

[lovemychix]

Mine prefer pellets. I was desperate and bought a bag of crumbles to get by and I mixed it in with the pellets I had left and now they dig all the crumbles out looking for pellets.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Agreed, strongly. Some of mine are free range, and the rest have a large yard with plenty of green stuff growing, and lots of bugs. They are not going to starve themselves.

I don't cater to picky cats, either. I offer a good dry food, not a grocery store variety. She can eat dry with treats of canned, or go hungry. And she IS NOT thin.... because she eats the dry well!

I limit quantities of treats to 5% or less, or maybe a little more if I am trying to boost protein, like scrambled egg day.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Quote:
They weren't getting too many treats. Only two little (1/4 round) watermelon rinds per day when my dad was coming during my vacation. And, when I was back in the school year, they got no treats. Just a dwindling egg production.

I think it depends on when you switch them to pellets. If I had done it when they first started laying, it would have worked better. I waited too long. They found a way to get by on what they foraged during free-range time.

I guess I could be tough and tell them, nothing unless you eat the pellets. But, they can tell me, no eggs. And that seems to be what is happening.

There is more than one way to do this. If it was terrible to feed crumbles, they would be illegal to sell. It gets back to the question, do I want to win this argument with my chickens or do I want to be happy? eggs=happiness

 

[Judy]

Whatever.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Of course it's not illegal to sell crumbles.

As someone already stated the only difference between crumbles and pellets is the form.
There are lots of reasons for a reduction in egg production that have nothing to do wtih the feed. Change in their daily routine, stress, etc. Since from what I've read you just went back to crumbles today I guess it remains to be seen whether it was the pellets that was causing your slowdown.
At any rate, my original post was for BigBen who was asking about the difference between feeding pellets or mash.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Quote:
Of course it's not illegal to sell crumbles.

As someone already stated the only difference between crumbles and pellets is the form.
There are lots of reasons for a reduction in egg production that have nothing to do wtih the feed. Change in their daily routine, stress, etc. Since from what I've read you just went back to crumbles today I guess it remains to be seen whether it was the pellets that was causing your slowdown.
At any rate, my original post was for BigBen who was asking about the difference between feeding pellets or mash.

so true!

 

[BigBen]

My girls are really fighting me on these pellets. They are bearly eating anything.
I know if a dog or cat gets hungry enough they will eat anything, but I really hate making the girl have to eat something they hate.
I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world if I switched them back to Mash.

 

[cmom]

I started out with crumbles. I saw a lot of waste so changed over to pellets. They had been on the pellets for over a year. The birds didn't seem to eating as much so I switched back to crumbles. I think maybe the heat had something to do with it. They seem to eat the crumbles ok but again I saw more waste. Next I switched to mash and they eat the mash, I put it in large shallow bowls. I am going to switch them back to pellets. I am going to take a vacation and when I go I want to makes it easy on my caretaker with feeding the birds, it will be pellets or starve. The birds also free range. They have a yard with an electric fence. I leave their pop door open so they always have access to their run and yard.