switching to layer pellets from layer mash

blueseal

Crowing
11 Years
Jul 3, 2008
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WALDOBORO MAINE
has anyone done this. i have been feeding mash but they seem to waste alot of it . will i see a drop in egg production until they get use to the pellets. i have a little mash left so i will mix the pellets in it.
 
Mine freaked over the pellets for about a week. They would barely touch them.

I was more stubborn than they were and I refused to go back to crumbles (because they were wasting it, too) and I refused to give them treats. I would toss handfuls of the pellets in the run (as if I was throwing out treats) to trick them into eating them. I figured if they got hungry enough, they'd eat them. Once one started eating them, the rest did and we never went back. I'm sooooo much happier with pellets, there's so much less waste.
 
Um, forgive my asking but ... What is Layer Mash?
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I make mash for mine, but I don't think we're talking about the same thing. The kind of "Mash" I'm talking about is layer pellets that I put in a pie pan and then add water to it and the chooks go nutty for't.
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What kind of mash are "You" talking about?
 
Quote:
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I actually ended up making the switch suddenly. I got an early surprise! egg from my pullets and our co-op doesn't sell layer in any form but pellets. My birds never skipped a beat and started eating the pellets immediately. I do realize that it's rare that they won't balk at eating a different food suddenly, but given appropriate food a chicken won't starve themselves to death.
If they put up too much of a fuss, stop all treats till they get hungry enough.
 
Mrs. Fluffy Puffy :

Um, forgive my asking but ... What is Layer Mash?
hide.gif

I make mash for mine, but I don't think we're talking about the same thing. The kind of "Mash" I'm talking about is layer pellets that I put in a pie pan and then add water to it and the chooks go nutty for't.
smile.png
What kind of mash are "You" talking about?

they just mean crumbles..vs. pellets.​
 
I switched mine to crumbles last year when I discovered just how much I was wasting and how often I kept having to buy food. since I switched, they seem to do better and I spend less..so it's a win win situation. I only give crumbles (mash) for the starter and grower.
 
D'Angelo N Va. :

Mrs. Fluffy Puffy :

Um, forgive my asking but ... What is Layer Mash?
hide.gif

I make mash for mine, but I don't think we're talking about the same thing. The kind of "Mash" I'm talking about is layer pellets that I put in a pie pan and then add water to it and the chooks go nutty for't.
smile.png
What kind of mash are "You" talking about?

they just mean crumbles..vs. pellets.​

Oh, thank ya lots!
big_smile.png
 
we fed mash when they were younger, then we switched to crumble. when we got the ducks, we went to pellets (which we had tried a few months earlier) because they say ducks dont waste pellets as much as they wast mash or crumble
 
Here is my theory about mash vs pellets or crumbles . In the mash all the elements are loose and separate ..the grain , the protein supplement, the vitamins,minerals, etc .

Since my layers are free ranging on grass I think the mash is better because it lets them pick out whatever nutrients they need , as opposed to the pellets or crumbles which are meant to be a "complete diet". They get so much vitamins from the grass the pellets might be superfluous .

I had them on pellets and scratch grain for awhile and production fell off , so I'm giving them mash and pellets and scratch just to cover all bases , and let them choose . It all seems to all get eaten but I imagine some of the powder in the mash is wasted . I keep feed indoors and outdoors.
 

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