Which is better? Pellets or crumbles?

[K-12 Chickens]

Which would be better to feed? Crumbles or pellets? It seems like crumbles tend to get messy if chickens pick through it while they are eating.

 

[Trampledbygeese]

Mine don't like crumble. It crumbles and they don't like the powder.

That said, the feed shop sells more crumble than pellets. I don't know which is best health wise.

 

[Tala]

I really don't think it matters much. Mine sorta prefer crumbles, but they eat pellets too. There is less waste with pellets, but my birds are not big wasters. If I'm feeding Flock Raiser it will be crumbles, but layer is usually pellets. They have all eaten both, so I just switch back and forth depending on who I'm feeding. SOME people's birds seem to have a hard time with switching, but mine don't seem to.

 

[catdaddy66]

Tala has it right. It depends on the birds, what they are used to and how hungry they are. I have always fed crumbles and my hens absolutely love the stuff! Once I bought some pellets 'cause I didn't read the bag well enough. They were leery of this "new crap" at first, but as the crumbles ran low and they got hungry enough the pellets went quickly. I switched back to the crumbles out of love for the girls!

Chickens do not make the best choices of nutrition and are very much like small kids...they eat what they like, not what is best for them. But like my pediatrician told me when asked about my son not eating as a toddler (very picky that boy!), "wait and when he gets good and hungry, he will eat. " It is pretty simple.

 

[eggsforsale]

I feed my layers pellets. They make a mess of the crumbles. Less waste with pellets.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Feed wasteage is a function of the feeder moreso than the form of the feed. If you have a whols pan of feed just sitting on the floor you will have waste. We use a hanging feed with it adjusted so the hens have to pick feed out from between the tube and the pan, this limits the wastage in our coop.

Jim

 

[chuckzoo]

Quote:
I feed mine crumbles and when it gets a bit powdery I mix it with a bit of yogurt or cultured buttermilk. It makes it like very course breadcrumbs - they love it and there is no waste.

 

[Mahonri]

I try to stop feeding crumbles by week 10.

 

[PepsNick]

Mine prefer crumbles so that's what I feed for now. They also enjoy it because mine has cracked corn mixed in it. Pellets waste less, though, so I'm trying to make up my mind.

 

[jomoncon]

I'm still feeding my 12 week olds crumbles, but I've got a great use for the powder it can turn into. I gather it all up in a bowl until I get enough, then I add a little water & heat it in the microwave. On cool/cold mornings this goes over better than oatmeal!