When to move from powder to crumble to pellets

[litl red hen]

I am new to the Chicken business but I am loving every minute of it. I am especially thrilled to have access to this site. Everyone has such great information and advice.

That said, at what ages do I move from the 'powdery' food on to the crumble and then the pellet form?

My 9 chicks are now 9 weeks old!!! I am worse than a mother hen and want to be sure I don't move forward too quickly with their feed. Currently we have them on the powdery with a slight mix of the crumble form.

Suggestions???

 

[luvmychicknkids]

I am certainly no expert, but I don't ever use the powdered stuff. My babies start with crumbles from day one. I keep them on the starter/grower crumbles until they are ready to lay (about 20 weeks give or take) and then switch to layer pellets. This seems to work well.

Welcome and enjoy those babies.

 

[dacjohns]

I guess it depends on what you like and what is available. I don't like the powders or mashes because it seems like there is more waste. My chick starter is crumbles.

 

[raindrop]

Mine eat crumbles until 18 weeks then layer pellets.

 

[Beekissed]

I tried layer pellets and the hens didn't like it....the laying mash I get now is more powdered and they can't get enough. The feed store mixes their own and they say everyone tells them the same thing....their chickens love it! I think its a matter of preference, really.

 

[dangerouschicken]

I was buying the feed store powder, too. The chickens also loved it, BUT I had to stop buying it. I think there is a lot of corn in there, so it is like empty calories for the chickens, and they just eat more and more and more. And because corn has gone up, it's now too expensive anyway.

I'm crumble all the way.

 

[litl red hen]

Thank you all so very much for the information. We need a new bag of food, so crumbles it is. Thanks again.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
Dangerous:

Can you explain your Empty Calorie theory as it applies to livestock production?

The crumble is probably EXACTLY the same formula as the mash feed, one was just pelleted then crumblized.

Jim