Why is it better wet?

[Sjisty]

When I fill the feed troughs with dry starter, grower, or layer crumbles, I get looks that say, "really, Mom, is that what you're feeding us?" The minute I take the same food and add water, cold or warm, and make a mush, then it's, "Wow, yippee, we got the good stuff - me first, no me first"! They eat it like there's no tomorrow and egg production goes way up.

Chickens have pea brains!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Interesting.... do u ferment your feeds?

 

[Sjisty]

No, I just have lately been mixing crumbles with warm water and they eat it like it's chocolate pie! Often I mix treats in, so maybe they think it's got goodies hidden inside.

 

[3forfree]

I read on here about mixing water with crumbles and after doing that the birds ate like they've never been fed before. After they eat most of the crumbles and there's only dust left I put water in it and mix it up so it looks like oatmeal and give it back to the birds, they know it's coming and almost beat the door down waiting for it.when they're done there's nothing left in the feeder.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I assume its better for the chickens as they get much more water in their system, just like my dogs, after dealing with urinary tract and kidney issues I started adding water to their food, happy to say after a year neither have any more problems and Thank God too, because the prescription dog food was like 80 bucks a bag!! First I tried making homemade food, but as we have 5 english springers, and it was such a pain and filled my freezer!! so I gave up on that and tried the simple water thing!! I am surprised that the bags of dog food dont recommend this in the first place!!

I was actually thinking of adding some crumbles to the oatmeal I snack them with, to make it go further as they are pigs and dont let some of the other girls eat! stinkers!!

I was checking out the fermenting threads, very interesting, but alot to think about, too much for me at the moment. But I have heard it really cuts down of feed bill and chicken stench esp in chicks, which sure would help with the brooder smells!

 

[Den in Penn]

Stray thought about moistened feed. Wet food goes better for us, chewing and swallowing than dry food, crackers and such vs. bread and cakes. So I would think wet feed would go better for chickens.