Pellets or Mash

[Anonymous]

Hi Folks,

My first entry as a new chicken owner! Okay well only 3 hens anyway.....

My question is what is the best feed for my hens, layers pellets or mash?
I am using mash at present and when I have mentioned this to one or two others they have done the usual sucking of air through their teeth, as though this was some cardinal sin!!
So which is it? Mash or pellet, what is the best for them. Also differing opinions of serving the mash with water or dry?
Expert opinions please, by the way the hens are Rhode Island Red crosses.

Regards Nathan 19

 

[E3lx]

Hi Nathan, welcome to the forum 99 .
I am most certainly not an expert, but i will give my opinion anyway. I have always prefered to use pellets, because mash goes off quicker and also, the grains make more mess. Its your choice though, and it depends which your chickens prefer. why not try both? :lol:

 

[Chuck]

Firstly, if I get a new batch of hybrids in, I always get them what they've been used to before coming to me and I keep them on this for around the first month. This seems to help them adjust to the new situation.

I too prefer pellets as I find they are less wasteful. If the meal/mash drops on the floor it's gone. Pellets seem a bit more natural (grain like) too.

Birds that have been severly de-beaked sometimes need mash as they can't manage pellets.

Most mash is fed dry and the birds have constant access but he old fashioned way was to feed it wet with boiled leftovers. If it's fed wet, be sure only to give as much as they can eat at a time as it goes off quickly in warm weather.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies so far guys!
I think I will finish this bag of mash and then go onto pellets. I agree whole heartedly with the waste side of things!!

 

[Marigold]

Another advantage of pellets is that the birds eat the whole ration without picking out the bits they like and leaving the rest. Pellets are made from the same stuff as mash, only compressed into little bite-sized pieces. If you want to give your birds a nice warm mash, eg in winter or as a pick-me-up with some nourishing extras, you can pour warm water on to pellets and they quickly crumble into an attractive 'porridge,m' just as mash does.