Pellets or Crumbles

[NameIwish]

Any advise or guidance would be greatly appreciate.

Crumble for chicks. Cantaloupe and watermelon rind as a treat - provides nutrients and moisture. After a week or so consider tossing in some grass (or weed) clippings - they will love them when they are ready.

 

[bradley10466]

Thank you. I was looking at staying with the 18% and start off with crumble chick feed followed up with crumble layer until about a year old then transition to pellets after 1 year of age. Adding scratch when they are about 5 months old.

That's pretty much what I did. The transition to pellets was accidental. The store gave me pellets instead of crumbles on day and I didn't notice until I opened up the bag. They ate it fine, so I stayed with pellets. I think there's less waste and fines
with pellets.

 

[Huntmaster]

That is what we did---chick crumble then layer crumble. They prefer crumble to pellets. (We DID offer the pellets to them) We now mix 1 1/2 large cans of crumble with 1/2 large can scratch for their feed trough. We also sprinkle a small can of bird seed on the ground for them to scratch around & eat. Also a friend drops off the "outsides" of lettuce, kale, etc. They love their greens. We have 7 girls & a nice rooster.

Most layer feed is usually on the low end of protein%, by adding all that scratch and bird seed you are drastically lowering the protein% and nutritional values of your feed.

 

[Possum-Pie]

Reviving a stalled thread... I've always given our hens pellets, and a full feeder takes 5-6 days to empty. Rural King was out of Pellets so I bought crumbles. They went after those crumbles like they were candy. 4 days later the feeder was empty except for some crumble dust. My hens are healthy size/weight, I don't want them to get fat but I guess I will use the rest of this bag and switch back to pellets. When you all say "waste" do you mean they are dropping crumbles on the ground or they are eating more? I see no evidence of wasted food, just an empty feeder!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Reviving a stalled thread... I've always given our hens pellets, and a full feeder takes 5-6 days to empty. Rural King was out of Pellets so I bought crumbles. They went after those crumbles like they were candy. 4 days later the feeder was empty except for some crumble dust. My hens are healthy size/weight, I don't want them to get fat but I guess I will use the rest of this bag and switch back to pellets. When you all say "waste" do you mean they are dropping crumbles on the ground or they are eating more? I see no evidence of wasted food, just an empty feeder!

Depending on feeder used, crumble is easily scattered, then forgotten on the ground. When pellet is scattered, it generally remains pellet, and they will find and eat (most of it) later. Less waste.

 

[FrostRanger]

Mine just scattered it everywhere and then wouldn't eat what they dropped. As @U_Stormcrow said, they at least eat the pellets they drop

 

[Possum-Pie]

I have no evidence on the ground of any wastage, so they are eating more of it, I've always rolled my eyes at how chickens eat. I'll throw down a berry and they rapidly pick it up. I throw down a handful of cracked corn or pellets and they peck at random bits, often moving from larger concentrations to some random piece 4 steps away. They aren't methodical at all in selecting food.