Should mash cake up?

[imthedude]

Went out to check feed and give fresh water this morning, and I noticed that the mash lay ration that I just started using on Saturday was caked up in the bottom of the feeder like it had gotten wet. It had a sour smell as well. Is this typical of a mash, or should it stay dry and loose like it is when it comes out of the bag?

 

[Wynette]

Maybe it got rained on? Definitely get rid of it if it's sour smelling.

 

[TipsyDog]

It should stay dry. I would get rid of it. It must have gotten wet OR do you have high humidity in the air? We have very humid summers and I feed in a metal feeder that is hanging and at the height of the chicken's back. Mine stays dry. Maybe you got a bad batch/bag?

 

[imthedude]

You both confirmed my suspicion that it should stay dry. We had a very brief shower on Sunday evening, but it would have to rain sideways to blow into the covered run where the feeder resides......I guess that's possible, but it didn't blow that hard when the brief storm moved through. The air in the mountain west is dry as a bone, averaging probably 20% humidity on a daily average, so humidity shouldn't be causing it. The mash still in the bag was powder dry when I poured it out this morning. Maybe I'll hang it and get it off the ground so that it's not in direct contact with the ground.

 

[TipsyDog]

I hang mine in the middle of the covered run otherwise, yes, the rain would blow into it around here in one thunderstorm. Hanging it high so they can get their beaks in there stops alot of waste too. When I had it lower, they just threw the feed out everywhere.

edited for spelling