# Good Morning! Feed question...



## Shayanna (Sep 25, 2013)

My local feed mill sells crumbles, but they seem REALLY fine to me. Almost powdery. Is that what crumbles are supposed to be like? Our hens NEVER finish off whats in the feeder, and I'm wondering if the "crumbles" are the culprit. 

What do you feed your hens? Anyone feed oats? If that is a good substitute, or supplement, I would love to switch. I'm not the biggest fan of some mysterious "crumble" that contains who-knows-what, but I also want what's best for my hens.

My 30 something birds free range on our acre and the neighboring couple every day all day, but we keep a hanging feeder in the coop. They also have first dibs on the compost pile every morning, and get all less-than-quality apples that fall from our 3 trees.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Complain to the mill about the fines. If you are seeing it then there are too many fines to crumbles. I can't tell you how many bags I've opened to find the bag pretty much useless due to the fines. And I returned them. One time that amounted to 700 pounds.

Most mills don't know they have a problem until someone complains. One time because of circumstances I was forced to use the one bag I opened, I sifted the fines out. But I put them in another empty feed bag. Then I took the bag back to the feed store and said, "I'm not happy." There were ten pounds of fines in the bag. Useless feed that I paid for.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Oats won't be a complete nutrition for them but you can certainly place it within a balanced layer ration for added fiber, to lower total proteins and for variety.

I use a layer mash that comes fresh ground from the local feed mill. In the winter I cut that with steamed barley and throw in a few black oil sunflower seeds...this gives my flock less protein, more fiber and fat. But..that's just my routine and there are reasons for it.

For someone just starting out, just plain ol' layer mash is fine if you can get it. Your crumbles have the correct nutrition but just ground fine and processed, stored for who knows how long in warehouses until it comes to you at a distributor. It's grey/beige and smells stale.

If you live in a rural area, they have a feed mill somewhere around there....ask a local farmer where he buys his feed. You'll get a fresher product and can also buy whole grains cheaper at the same place.

I ferment my layer feed, so none is wasted and the total proteins are more usable by the chicken...no waste in the feces, which means no stink or flies in my coop.

In the winter my feed looks a little like this(...but with black seeds in it also:










In the winter it looks more like this but without the red pellets in it....this is before it is fermented.


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## cluck13 (Jun 14, 2013)

Check with the mill as to how fine the crumble should be. As robin416 suggests there maybe an issue at the mill and they do not realize that there is more % fine than should be. Your hens maynot be finishing off what is in the feeder as they are getting enought elswhere. This may change as your season changes and natural foraging supplies become less.

Interested in your local supplier response to the amount of fine.


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