What to do with the feed that is pecked to powder?

[Newwell]

I have 8 - 3 week old chicks that are eating Purina Starter. My concern is that they peck at it so much that it turns to powder. What do I do with all of the powder? It seems like a waste of good food. They only want the bigger pieces.

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

I read in another post to take the powder and mix it with warm water to make a mash. Apparently the chicks really love this - I haven't tried it yet so can't vouch for it but it sounds like it makes a lot of sense.
Good luck!

 

[wyododge]

We feed scraps and pumpkins and such in those flexible black bowls. I gather the powder out of the feeder and put it on the greens and pumpkins and stuff so they have to eat it.

I have also read about the mash thing too. Either one or both would work. And if all else fails you can always compost it or sprinkle it on the garden.

 

[Fierlin1182]

My chooks free range, they peck their food to BITS

Generally, as we can't pick the little gritty pieces back off the ground, we leave 'em there and the smaller birds we get around here eat them up

Either that, or it's the insects... I like to think it's the birds.

 

[Terrie Mac]

I'm thinking on taking that powder, treat it like flour to make some chicken cookies of some sorts, with the addition of some nuts and such. Anything but throw it out

 

[lorain's fids]

Quote:
Someone had posted about mixing the powder from the crumbles in with scrambled eggs. So I started doing this with their scrambled eggs and they love it.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Anytime you have powder, either in the bottom of the feeder, or bottom of the crumbles bag, you can use it. It doesn't need to go to waste. Add a little water moisture and stir. It "re-constitutues" very well. Or, stir in some moist table food.

Once in awhile you simply get a bag of commercial feed that is mostly dust. Of course, local feed mills mainly grind mash that comes as a "flour". Anything that is moist will re-constitute the flour/dust into a very edible form.

 

[ontimeborzoi]

Aha!! Never thought of just adding water...so after reading these posts, went outside, scooped up some of the powder *I* had been wondering what to do with, added water, stirred...the girls went nuts with it. Cool. : )

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
x2

 

[Newwell]

Thank you, thank you. I had read about taking mash and mixing it with a little water to reconstitute on this forum, but didn't know if you could do it with Start & Grow. Hey, we'll give it a shot. Like was suggested, I could also mix it with scrambled eggs their all time favorite. I have to check for fingers after they get done, too.