Wet feed?

[Ragna]

I was told wet feed will go bad and could potentially kill. People also say the chickens will know the food is bad? Is that true? Will the chickens refuse to eat it knowing it's bad?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I was told wet feed will go bad and could potentially kill. People also say the chickens will know the food is bad? Is that true? Will the chickens refuse to eat it knowing it's bad?

Not always. Chickens can get deadly botulism eating moldy feed. Keep it dry, keep it clean to minimize problems.

 

[proudmommie31]

My chickens would eat anything. Literally. If i didn’t grab it first they ate it; styrofoam, ripped open trash bags, cat food, rubber bands and motor oil.. none of it ever killed any but it was like having 20 free ranging toddlers (wouldnt eat peppers tho, go figure)

 

[GC-Raptor]

I wet feed occasionally with lukewarm water and feed immediately, as a treat to finish up fines at the bottom of the bag or feeder. Hens love it, they devour it like it was candy. I don't make a lot, just what they can consume in 5 minutes or so.
They have dry feed 24/7.
I also feed it to a hen that's not feeling well, really perks them up.
I keep the feeder in the coop and bag of feed in my house. If feed gets wet unintentionally, toss it out. GC

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

My chickens would eat anything. Literally. If i didn’t grab it first they ate it; styrofoam, ripped open trash bags, cat food, rubber bands and motor oil.. none of it ever killed any but it was like having 20 free ranging toddlers (wouldnt eat peppers tho, go figure)

Truth.

 

[Mosey2003]

If you know the amount (preferably by weight, not volume) of what your group of birds eat in a day and don't feed more than that, I see no problem with feeding it wet. I actually prefer feeding wet mash twice a day when I'm not too lazy to actually do it that way. From what I have read from a few difference sources, feed was originally meant to be fed wet, which is why it's called "mash." If it's good (not moldy or rancid) feed to begin with, I doubt it will turn deadly in a few hours.

But, we all have to do what we're comfortable doing in our own situations.

 

[Seaecho]

I feed wet both for breakfast and their dinner (they get their scraps and scratch around early afternoon). i only feed enough for them to eat within half an hour. There is also dry mash/crumbles available to them at all times. In winter, I give fermented feed for dinner, but I find in summer it goes bad too fast, so I just wet it during the hot months.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

I also feed wet food. I make a 5 gallon bucket full and it’s gone in about a day and a half. I keep it outside but under cover, out of the sun. I did have a batch go bad. I didn’t know that’s what was happening, but yes, the chickens knew and any who had a choice of the good and the bad ignored the bad. I did end up losing two keets to the bad food before I figured it out.

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

I feed fermented feed. The longest I've ever had it without adding fresh, is 8 days. It smells awful, but the chickens go crazy for it! If I were you, I would ferment over just adding water because it is way better for them that way!

 

[Seaecho]

You can smell when fermented feed goes bad. When it's not bad, it has a slightly vinegar-ish smell, but it doesn't stink!