Wet food?

[shmccarthy]

I put some grower crumbles out for the bantys yesterday and they didn't finish all of it. Last night it rained and most of it way really wet, but still crumbly. Provided that the food was only wet for a little bit, and isn't moldy or anything, is this okay to feed to them? They're only about 12 weeks and I heard that the "wet mash" type food is okay to feed them, but is this the same thing? I'd really hate to waste feed.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Sure you can feed it to them today, but you might want to toss what they don't finish by tomorrow.

 

[shmccarthy]

Yeah that's what I was thinking, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't bad for them. Thanks.

 

[lahessler]

I am having a problem with mine eating the pellets if they r not wet. I started out with the starter grower but they were eating it so fast I couldn't keep up with them. I went in and talked to a guy at the feed store and he said to mix it with the finisher till I got them off the starter grower. Welllllllllll the only way I can get them to eat just have the finisher is if I spray the top layer with water. I'm wanting to do a pvc pipe feeder but I'm afraid it may go bad since it would be a lot more food getting damp.

 

[Den in Penn]

Lahessler: Use tough love. If they have eaten some of the pellets just wait them out. They will eventually eat the pellets. They won't starve themselves.

 

[lahessler]

I tried that. The pellets ended up all over the floor inside and outside there area. I'm still new at this so i measure how much I put out for them to watch from day to day if they eat more or less. Same with the water. I pick up about the same amount off the floor that I give them when it just pellets. I've got some of the starter still I mix it in a little from time to time but they slack off once all the grower is gone. I thought of chopping the pellets a little since they r cheaper.

 

[shmccarthy]

Are you using crumble or pellets? Mine don't like pellets that much and I feed them crumble. It seems a bit easier, especially for ones that are still pretty young, to eat.
Like Den in Penn said, they will eat them and won't starve themselves. If you're having a problem spilling the food, try putting it on a block of wood, or some bricks. That way they can still reach it, but not scratch around in it.
Another thing you can try is mixing in treats. Put small dabs of plain yogurt, blueberries, cut grapes, bits of oatmeal, and they will try that. My chickens go crazy for those treats and sometimes to get them to try something new, I just mix the new food, or the food they "don't like" with something I know they like.
Chickens are kind of like children sometimes when it comes to trying new foods. Some determine they don't like it, even though they never tried it! You just have to be persistent and it will pay off.

 

[lahessler]

I got the girls a few weeks before easter. I've not tried a lot more then starter, finisher, and the Milo mix with them. I did introduce them to lettuce, cabbage, and broccoli leaves from the garden. They went nuts over them. I don't do them a lot I'm slowly trying of things to see if they will eat other nutritious things to stop the mess of the pellets. I've got limited space for feed storage and I still have over 30lbs of pellets and probably 40 lbs of Milo mix.

 

[lahessler]

My girls are doing much better. I have changed to laying since they have started laying over the summer. My girls Thing 1 and Thing 2 (from cat in the hat) are doing muh better.