Switching food from crumbles to pellets not going well

[Tillie43]

Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll wait a few days with no crumbles and very few treats.

any other ways you’ve used the crumble powder?

 

[EggWalrus]

Good idea. I hate to toss the powder.

I don't waste the pellet dust either. When I get towards the bottom of the bag where is about 1/4 dust, I add some water till its like a thick porridge. They gooble it down and it save money.

 

[AsaDotJava]

We are having the same issue... We got pellets last time to see if it would create less feed waste, and our chickens hate us for it So, we've gone back to crumbles.

 

[EggWalrus]

We are having the same issue... We got pellets last time to see if it would create less feed waste, and our chickens hate us for it So, we've gone back to crumbles.

If that's all you feed them, they'll eat it, get use to it, and like it.

 

[AsaDotJava]

If that's all you feed them, they'll eat it, get use to it, and like it.

Eh, it isn't important enough to me to justify forcing them to eat the pellets... Especially since I have a lot of tiny bantams. The price is the same for the two types and we'll adjust how we offer it to them to try cutting down on feed waste.

I have had to take that stand with other animals though! Like these goats we were given, who were fed only alfalfa at their previous home and turned their noses up at pasture and grass hay
Picky goats! Who ever heard of such a thing?! They were up in arms about the lack of alfalfa for a few days, but finally got over it when they got hungry enough

 

[GC-Raptor]

My first Flock I switched over to Pellets at 16 weeks by mixing with Scratch Grains 50/50 and tossing on dry ground as a treat for a week. They gobbled up the Pellets like candy.
I also mixed Pellets with Crumbles in the feeder 50/50 till the Crumbles were used up.
I eventually went back to Crumbles as I couldn't always get fresh Pellets with 18/20% Protein.
I'm on my second Flock and I give them a daily treat of wet mash made from Crumbles or powder from the bottom of the bag, as long as temps are above freezing. . They love it.
I measure a 1/4 cup dry for every two chickens. I add about the same amount of water as feed and serve immediately. GC

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are the pellets and crumble the same exact food or at least the same brand as the crumble? Or is the pellet a different feed than the crumble? I ask because my birds aren't that picky about pellet vs crumble, but when I tried a different brand of pellet, that's where they put their foot down and didn't want to eat it and made a mess. Once I switched to the same brand of pellet as the crumble they were eating, they were just fine with it.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I must say I never had a problem changing to pellets when the time comes. I never mix food if I'm changing it, either. IDK

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

In our experience hens waste too much feed when fed crumbles. The pellets result in less feed wastage and may give the appearance that they are not eating because they are not wasting feed. Just put the pellets in the feeder and walk away, they won't starve.

 

[Tillie43]

Thanks everyone. It took a few days of nail biting (me, not the chickens) but they are finally eating the pellets, much to my relief.