Uh-oh. Just opened my new 50 pound bag of organic layer feed.

[iheartnh]

And it's PELLETS. Being new to this, I honestly didn't know there were choices - I just asked for organic layer feed. I just gave them some in their treat bowl, and they looked at me like "you have got to be kidding???". Pushed it around with their beaks, thinking maybe something better was mixed in, I guess. A couple tried to eat them, but it seems like the pellets are too hard for them to break. They abandoned the bowl pretty quickly.

Did I just make a $25 mistake?

 

[locoguru]

ferment it!

 

[iheartnh]

ferment it!

Say what????

 

[locoguru]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/645057/fermented-feeds-anyone-using-them

 

[Bullitt]

You can put some water on the pellets to soften them up.

How old are your hens?

 

[AZBootsie]

Are these chicks?? or grown chickens?? Mine eat organic pellets. Pellets are much less wasteful. If they knock them out of the bowl, they can eat them off the ground. I think they will eat them when they get hungry. Mine don't break them up.....just swallow them whole.

 

[angel8035]

Lots of hens eat pellets. Yours will too, once they get used to it.

 

[iheartnh]

They are only about 4 months old. I had them on organic finisher, which I guess are "crumbles", right? My husband is always the one who bought the food - I was just trying to save him a trip, since I was right next door to the feed store and we were low on feed.

I looked quickly at fermenting - looks like lots of benefits. Anyone know if the ferment is temp-sensitive?

 

[locoguru]

I have had my going for 18 weeks now in the same 1 gallon pickle jar (I have 8 chickens) and my temps have ranged from 50-108 f and it hasn't been a problem.

 

[iheartnh]

I have had my going for 18 weeks now in the same 1 gallon pickle jar (I have 8 chickens) and my temps have ranged from 50-108 f and it hasn't been a problem.

That's a good start. If anyone has success with keeping it between 35-50 degrees, please chime in? If I do this, I'd keep the ferment in my garage.

OK, and so I read a little more, and it seems like chickens REALLY like fermented feed - so if I do it with this bag, will I sorta be stuck - meaning, will they refuse or resist regular crumbles til they're starving? I'm not sure I want to have to always ferment - I really like the idea of it, just not sure I want to HAVE to do it.