Pellets to crumbles

[jonezjollyfarm]

Has anyone ever tried to turn pellets into a crumble? None of the feed I get for my flock is available in pellets that or my feed store doesn't stock it. Id think crumble would be much easier them them to eat and digest. I'm thinking about buy a cheap food processor and giving the pellets a good one two. I don't think that would turn it into powder. Does that sound completely crazy?

 

[sroy]

I used to grind up feed for my chicks. They had trouble with the big pieces when they were tiny. So I don't think it's crazy at all. I say go for it.

 

[enola]

An adult chicken should have no problems eating or digesting pellets. As soon as a pellet gets any moisture on them they disintegrate. They are mush way before they get to the gizzard.

Or you could use them to make fermented feed like I do.

 

[MeepBeep]

As said it's not necessary, for adult birds...

I would avoid the food processor, cheap ones are likely to strip out or fail l in short due to how hard the pellet are and better ones will turn a lot of the pellet into dust with no overall size consistency... I have ground up pellets in a pinch for chick food in a food processor and it's a hassle, I generally end up sifting if afterwards as there is anything from dust to big chunks left unless I turn it all into powder...

Instead if you are determined to grind them up, get a hand grain mill or a cheap hand corn/grain grinder (these can be had for about $30-$40) this way you can set the final size and get better consistency with a lot less powder...

 

[enola]

A good point - chickens HATE powdery feed. The only way most people can get their chickens to eat the powder is to not feed more feed until the powder is gone.

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

An adult chicken should have no problems eating or digesting pellets. As soon as a pellet gets any moisture on them they disintegrate. They are mush way before they get to the gizzard.

Or you could use them to make fermented feed like I do.

I've been playing around with the fermented feed idea. I made a batch and am so paranoid I'm going to kill them with it or under feed them I haven't been able to bring myself to actually feed it to them. I'm trying to find someone near me I can have watch me make it and smell it and whatnot before I feed that has actually done it. I usually soak a small amount of feed in water for like 5 mins in the evening and let them eat that. They absolutely devour it. But they always act like they are starving to death, they always have dry pellets available. The only time my feeder is empty is when I dump it to clean it.

 

[enola]

As long as your fermented feed hasn't turned green, it is fine. I live in SC and ferment year round right out in the coop. Are you getting a white or gray film on the top of your FF? If you are then you are doing everything right. In the summer time the smell does get a little strong, but your hens will love it.

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

Well I did a bunch of research and I understand it that the soild feed should be completely submerged in the water threw the whole process then you drain out what you need to feed and replenish. But then people are telling me no just enough water to cover for the first day... so I'm still confused. The batch I made has been submerged the entire time and has a kind of yellowish scoby actually didn't smell to bad till today. Still doesn't have a bad odor just it has definitely changed. It has white bubbles. I took a little of the scoby from the original batch and but it in a ball jar and put in some scratch grain and added water to submerged that was well and it also has white bubbles and a white cloudy scoby.

 

[enola]

I mix my feed approximately 1/2 feed 1/2 water by volume. Stir it up until I am sure it is all wetted down. I don't stir it every day. It ferments for 3 days in summer time, 5 days when it is cooler. When I serve it, the feed is pretty thick. I have to spoon/scrape it out of the bucket with a large stainless steel spoon. I tried feeding it in a soupy form, but the chickens got filthy.

I leave a couple of spoonfuls in the bucket to start the fermentation faster. I just add the next batch of feed and water and stir well.

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

I mix my feed approximately 1/2 feed 1/2 water by volume. Stir it up until I am sure it is all wetted down. I don't stir it every day. It ferments for 3 days in summer time, 5 days when it is cooler. When I serve it, the feed is pretty thick. I have to spoon/scrape it out of the bucket with a large stainless steel spoon. I tried feeding it in a soupy form, but the chickens got filthy.

I leave a couple of spoonfuls in the bucket to start the fermentation faster. I just add the next batch of feed and water and stir well.

I like the idea of using canning jars as apposed to the 2 gallon bucket I started with. So I'd measure a half jar off feed and a half jar of water then combined and mix well and leave it be for a few days. I don't know that I'll be able to resist the urge to stir it.