Power food?!

[chicken4prez]

Ok so here's the story:

My neighbours bought this food from a local feed store and it's pure powder. If you take a handful and throw it in the air it dissolves in the wind. And as you know chickens can't swallow so the poor chickens choke whenever they eat the food. I've discussed this to my neighbours many many times and they haven't listened at all. They're also complaining that their 11 hens are only laying 2-4 eggs per day. Just recently they ran out of the food and bought the normal pellet food everyone buys. Obviously the chickens like it much more and they're laying much more than they normal do. I mentioned this to them and they said that it's only temporary until the bag runs out that they'll stick to the other food again.


They also said that the people they've got it from has been feeding it to the hens as is but like I said this is very dangerous for their chickens! I do understand that the farmers are giving it to their chickens plain but it doesn't mean you have to do it too!


What are your thoughts on this? Have you heard about powder food before? I'm just frustrated because the hens are choking every time they eat this food and they won't even listen to me about the truth.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Yes, its called mash and I hate it. It would be fine for feeding fermented or even just wet, though. I prefer pellets and fermented feed (I use crumble for that).

ETA It seems that mash can be several things in different places - some are more like scratch with whole and split grains. The mash I have seen is powder, though.

Usually mash is what pellets are made of, and crumble is broken up pellets.

 

[chicken4prez]

Yes, its called mash and I hate it. It would be fine for feeding fermented or even just wet, though. I prefer pellets and fermented feed (I use crumble for that).

I've told them that they can serve it with water but they said no because they're following everything the farmer tells them and not someone who has been raising chickens for over 8 years.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I would not say it is dangerous for the chickens. I do think it is harder to eat, but I don't know that for certain. The birds will gobble that or pellets down the same way, with the powder being a little bit harder to swallow. Some do say the powder is better because it does not have to be broken up by the gizzard so it is easier for more to be utilized rather than pass through.

I would just be happy they are giving them feed. Mine just keep theirs locked up and overcrowded with nothing but scratch to eat and act pi$$ed when they don't lay and keep randomly falling over dead. I never, ever, ever tell them when I have extra hens to sell, or the feed store is getting chicks in, and I wish I could sabotage their incubator, they make me so mad.

 

[lazy gardener]

Mash is cheaper. And mash is wonderful if you are fermenting it. A lot of feed stores do not carry mash, but if my feed store carried it, I'd be buying it to save even more money on my ferment. Mash is intended to be served wet.

 

[Ebarnes-21]

Mash? well the mash I've seen isn't what I would call dissolve on the wind ... there is fine in it, but usually at least half of it is just big enough to recognize what grain it came from. It's usually from 2mm down. You make it sound like flour?

Its very common here in NZ, it is supposed to be fed damped and WOW they love damp mash.

It can be fed dry though, I have seen this done often, usually when it is put in an auto feeder. It can cause a lot of wastage though where feeding wet doesn't. I've never seen a chicken choke on its powderyness, I mean I've seen them cough occasionally, rarely, but they do that with pellets and whole grain just as often, its just they have swallowed it the wrong way usually.

They shouldn't be taking mouthfuls of it if you know what I mean, they do if its wet, they love that, but dry they just peck little bits slowly and there's no whole chunk of powder to choke on. Thats why they like pellets compared to dry mash, its frustrating having to take little nibble sized pieces at once. If they're gulping up whole beaks full of dry I'd be more worried they're not getting enough and are just so hungry they're gobbling and choking themselves eating too fast.

That might be consistent with their low egg numbers too. Powdery food would not cause low egg numbers! If the right amount of nutrition is going in, what grade it is presented in doesn't stop them laying. But if they weren't getting enough, that could make them bolt their food, and not lay properly.

Also it could happen if the brand of mash is not right nutrient balance for layers ... mash can be for any class of poultry!

You've obviously watched them feeding ... so, how long does it take for them to finish all the feed given? Do they ever leave some? do they appear to slow down and be satisfied as they finish or are they back bawk-ing at the gate 10 minutes later?

 

[Leighe]

Never heard of "powdered" mash. I love learning. I take my pellets and add water to them because the chickens love it wayyyyyyyy more then dry food. I originally started doing that in the winter so they could have a "warm dish".....you know....like they do in the wild . Then when I saw them loving it and I wasn't using as much and they weren't scattering it...bing, bing, bing.

Boy, @chicken4prez, I can hear your frustration. I don't really think there is much you can do. There will always be people who do things (different, wrong, weird, don't care, abusive). You can only do what you can do, you have spoken to them and they've rejected your advice. I'd go on the offense now. Every time they talk about not getting very many eggs, I'd talk about all the fresh eggs I'm gettin everyday. Obviously, based on @Ebarnes-21 post, this is a food that is commonly used by others. So I'd just "brag" when they complain. Maybe they'll figure it out, maybe not. Don't like hearing they are incubating....ugh.....

 

[chicken4prez]

Mash? well the mash I've seen isn't what I would call dissolve on the wind ... there is fine in it, but usually at least half of it is just big enough to recognize what grain it came from. It's usually from 2mm down. You make it sound like flour?

Its very common here in NZ, it is supposed to be fed damped and WOW they love damp mash.

It can be fed dry though, I have seen this done often, usually when it is put in an auto feeder. It can cause a lot of wastage though where feeding wet doesn't. I've never seen a chicken choke on its powderyness, I mean I've seen them cough occasionally, rarely, but they do that with pellets and whole grain just as often, its just they have swallowed it the wrong way usually.

They shouldn't be taking mouthfuls of it if you know what I mean, they do if its wet, they love that, but dry they just peck little bits slowly and there's no whole chunk of powder to choke on. Thats why they like pellets compared to dry mash, its frustrating having to take little nibble sized pieces at once. If they're gulping up whole beaks full of dry I'd be more worried they're not getting enough and are just so hungry they're gobbling and choking themselves eating too fast.

That might be consistent with their low egg numbers too. Powdery food would not cause low egg numbers! If the right amount of nutrition is going in, what grade it is presented in doesn't stop them laying. But if they weren't getting enough, that could make them bolt their food, and not lay properly.

Also it could happen if the brand of mash is not right nutrient balance for layers ... mash can be for any class of poultry!

You've obviously watched them feeding ... so, how long does it take for them to finish all the feed given? Do they ever leave some? do they appear to slow down and be satisfied as they finish or are they back bawk-ing at the gate 10 minutes later?

It's just a tad bit thicker than flour but not much.

Yes I have been watching them eat. It takes quite a long time for them to finish it. They take huge mouthfuls and attempt to gulp it down but obviously it takes a long time. They do finish it all but it's because they have no choice. Before I gave them some of my own pellets and they loved it.