Performed an lil' experiment - pellets vs. crumbles

[gritsar]

I was out filling a bucket with layer pellets for my adult birds and my 16 week old "teen" chicks were gathered round, hoping for a handout; so I decided to try a little experiment.
I offered the teenagers a bowl of the layer pellets and a bowl of their grower crumbles to see which they preferred. They scarcely touched the crumbles and emptied the bowl of pellets.
I did this to be sure that my two silkies really could eat the pellets without trouble, but I'm glad to see that the transition to pellets in a couple of weeks is going to be easy.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When I switched from grower crumbles to layer pellets I mixed them to make the transition easier for them. What transition? They cleaned out the pellets and left the crumbles behind. I had to let them go a while without any pellets to get them to finish off the grower crumbles. I've seen posts on here where others have had it exactly opposite. Glad to see you should not have any problems when you switch.

If a grown chicken can eat a mouse, an almost grown one should not have any problem with pellets, even if it is a silkie.

 

[seminolewind]

Good experiment. Mine chose the crumbles, this was last year, I accidentally picked up a bag of pellets.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I feel the same way. Another thought - if the tiny little (wild) finches that get into my coop can get their fill on pellets, chickens of any size should not have a problem with them. Still, you know me. I worry about my individual birds more than I should.

 

[seminolewind]

I don't think you worry more than you should. You, and me, we must think that life is precious, esp pets.

 

[Tala]

Mine seem to prefer the co-op gamebird food over the Layena, and it just happens to be crumbles.
I have fed both crumbles or pellets, depending on what was available and what was on sale, basically they eat what I put in front of them

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Funny you should mention that. I went ballistic at city hall yesterday over a puppy. DH had gone into the police dept./city hall where he works to deal with some paperwork. I decided to sit in the jeep to wait for him. Soon I heard a puppy crying. Got out and looked around and finally found a tiny puppy in one of the pens of the dogcatchers truck; in the sun, no water. I got on my cell phone, called hubby and told him to bring me out a cup of water and the dogcatcher (a 19 y.o. boy I call Dogboy). He's the best Podunk could do for an animal control officer. I ripped Dogboy a new one. He had to stand there and listen to me lecture him on puppy care for a solid 15 minutes. Lots of 'yes ma'ams on his part. The puppy belongs to him and is not a stray.
If your going to have an animal, care for it as you would a child or don't have one at all.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Funny you should mention that. I went ballistic at city hall yesterday over a puppy. DH had gone into the police dept./city hall where he works to deal with some paperwork. I decided to sit in the jeep to wait for him. Soon I heard a puppy crying. Got out and looked around and finally found a tiny puppy in one of the pens of the dogcatchers truck; in the sun, no water. I got on my cell phone, called hubby and told him to bring me out a cup of water and the dogcatcher (a 19 y.o. boy I call Dogboy). He's the best Podunk could do for an animal control officer. I ripped Dogboy a new one. He had to stand there and listen to me lecture him on puppy care for a solid 15 minutes. Lots of 'yes ma'ams on his part. The puppy belongs to him and is not a stray.
If your going to have an animal, care for it as you would a child or don't have one at all.

Soooo he was just toting it around all day in his truck???? Wowza and those are the kinds of idiots enforcing "animal cruelty laws" I think I smell some poo....
Its one thing to pick up a dog and take it to the pound, quick trip without water no big deal, but to just cart the dog around all day in the heat???? Poor puppy!!!!

 

[BorderKelpie]

Wow, just think of all the viruses, etc that puppy is exposed to!

I am not a huge fan of vaccines, but I wouldn't purposely expose my pups to Heaven only knows what out there. And I carry a container of fresh (cold) water and a fan in my air conditioned vehicle for the dogs. (Ok, yes, maybe they are a wee bit spoiled lol)

Poor baby.

Back to the crumbles vs pellets. I was terrified that my Seramas would choke to death on the pellets. Turns out they prefer them. The experiment I did with my normals sized birds was to see which would be more economical between the two. I now feed pellets only. There seems to be much less waste and the birds (of all sizes) seem to like them better.

 

[Arty]

Seems to be much less waste using the pellets. And while our birds eat anything and everything, they do seem to prefer the pellets as well.