What type of feed do you feed your chickens/ducks

[thelordsblessing2017]

Hello,

What do you feed your chickens and/or ducks? Is crumbles better than pellets? How about the flock feed, to be able to save a little money so that both chickens and ducks can eat the same feed.

 

[OnlySympathy]

Hello,

What do you feed your chickens and/or ducks? Is crumbles better than pellets? How about the flock feed, to be able to save a little money so that both chickens and ducks can eat the same feed.

I don’t have ducks but even if I did I would still only get what I buy currently for my chickens. I use 20% all flock pellets. I prefer pellets over crumbles as it’s less messy and they seem to waste less of it. A big positive of crumbles is that you can have the same feed for day olds as you do for your adults. That’s especially helpful if you have or want a a flock with broody raised birds.

 

[GodLovesU]

I don’t have ducks, but I switch back and forth between crumbles and pellets for my chickens.

 

[SilverBirds]

If you've only got females in your flock, you can choose a layer feed and it will be good for both species. If you have roosters/drakes or non-laying birds in your flock, I would go with an all flock or grower. Everyone can eat it year-round and you can offer oysters on the side for the ladies when they are laying for extra calcium. For adults and juvenile birds, I strongly prefer pellets over crumbles. I find a lot of crumble feeds to be very dusty, and the birds make more of a mess with it. A lot of the crumbles and dust end up being wasted unless you wet or ferment the feed, which isn't something I do.

 

[TroutFinn]

The guy at the feed store sold me pellets, so that's what I use ;-) I've heard it can be less wasteful than crumbles.

 

[thelordsblessing2017]

oh ok..yea i bought pellets one time but my ducks didnt seem to like them or maybe they were too young at the time. They are now 6 months old. I think I tried when they were 4 months, maybe that was too early for them.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have chicks so we're feeding 20% all-flock crumbles, but even with "no-waste" (ha!) feeders they make a big mess. Can't always get pellets but when the chicks are big enough that's what I'm going for. Oyster shell in a separate dish, of course, and grit also.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I prefer mini pellets but can't always get them. Right now I am feeding Nutrena Naturewise All Flock pellets to my ducks and if I get it from Chewy they are mini pellets but the same feed at Tractor Supply is normal-sized pellets.

I feed chick starter crumbles to my chickens (pullets, cockerels, and hens). The Nutrena Naturewise All Flock is too expensive for me to feed to all my poultry but I give it to my ducks because it contains well over the minimum amount of niacin recommended for ducks.

 

[Folly's place]

I feed Purina Flock Raiser, which only comes in crumbles here. Pellets would be nice, but then I'd be changing to crumble with younger birds, and changing back to pellets later, and chickens do hate changes.
Nothing else of the same quality is fresher or less expensive here either, so it's what we feed all the time. If we are out and the FR isn't all that fresh, unmedicated chick starter is our alternative choice.
Mary