Sifting chick starter/grower

[HopeSprings]

My 5-week-olds are leaving the finer particles of their feed in the feeder, so I've started shifting their feed to serve them mostly the larger crumbles. Now I'm thinking that maybe I can use the finer particles to make a "mash" -- is that the right term? (I'm new to this chicken scene!) And how does go about making a mash?

 

[DellaMyDarling]

I can say I've discovered much waste with chick feed, as you describe.
A mash is simply the feed mixed with a liquid, typically water. I'm not sure for normal situations one would use anything else other than water.

Curious now

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Considering I have different age groups going, I sift the smaller pieces for my younger babies and of course the larger for the bigger ones. I just recently ended up with a cross beak silkie, so my smaller pieces will never be a waste because they will be turned into a mash for her.

 

[cassie]

I can say I've discovered much waste with chick feed, as you describe.
A mash is simply the feed mixed with a liquid, typically water. I'm not sure for normal situations one would use anything else other than water.

Curious now

Mash is simply fine feed. You can mix it with a liquid if you want, though. Years ago, all chicken feed was either mash or pellets. There were no crumbles. A lot of people mixed the mash with skim milk. In those days a lot of people had a few cows and they separated the milk and sold the cream. The skim went to the pigs, poultry, and us kids.

 

[Kiki]

Mix it with a little water and they will think you are giving them a fancy treat.

 

[cassie]

Mix it with a little water and they will think you are getting back by them a fancy treat.

This isn't exactly the same thing, but it reminded me of something. My aunt had all us kids convinced that the heel was the best part of a loaf of bread. We used to fight over them.

 

[Kiki]

This isn't exactly the same thing, but it reminded me of something. My aunt had all us kids convinced that the heel was the best part of a loaf of bread. We used to fight over them.

. I fixed my phone's autocorrecting error in my post.

 

[Sueby]

My last bag of layer crumble was mostly dust & my hens started just flinging it out of the feeder all over the floor. So I read the tip here to just add water & OMG they love it. The soupier the better too, I think because then they don't have to bother going to the waterer, lol. Lazy birds.

So now that they picked up the bad habit of flinging feed out of the feeder they started doing it with the pellets. Feed everywhere again.

 

[GC-Raptor]

So now that they picked up the bad habit of flinging feed out of the feeder they started doing it with the pellets. Feed everywhere again.

Once they start a new habit (good or bad). It's hard to break.
My Golden Comets 38 months old bill crumbles out of their galvanized hanging feeder. I raised it so the trough is level with their back. They still bill it out and leave it on the floor. . They won't show their faces on camera.
My Barred Rocks 10 months old have their own coop. They have the same type feeder and don't bill it out, and eat any crumbs under the feeder. Such good girls. . GC

 

[Sueby]

That made me laugh! Brats.