Chickens love this nutritious, high-protein layer feed from Country Road! Packed full of essential vitamins and minerals to promote overall hen health and help produce quality eggs, it makes Country Road Layer Crumble an indispensable ingredient in producing nutritious eggs from healthy layers.
Form of poultry feed has a tremendous effect on how much chickens enjoy their meals and perform at their best, so it is vital for chicken keepers to pay close attention to each flock’s unique preferences and select an effective feed format.
Contents
Nutrients
Nutritionally speaking, pellet and crumble feed are virtually equivalent. Their primary differences lie in how each is manufactured and stored – pellets being formed into solid pellets while crumble is made by crushing whole pellets into smaller pieces. Pellet feed requires less storage space while being easier to handle in terms of scooping, cleaning, and storage than crumble.
Crumbles contain more grit than pelleted feed and may help chickens grind up their food more easily in their gizzards, aiding their digestive health while increasing calcium levels to ensure bone strength and egg shell resilience.
Chicks and some breeds of adult chickens typically prefer crumble to pellets due to their softer texture; however, when transitioning flocks from chick starter to layer feed it may be beneficial to introduce pelleted feed gradually so the birds become familiar with its texture and can efficiently digest any larger bits in their food.
Texture
Crumble provides more crunch compared to pellets; however, its oatmeal-like texture makes it easy for spillage and wasteful food consumption. Crumble is best used as an extra protein source in chicks or growing birds who require additional nutrition.
Pellet feed for laying hens provides a more consistent texture that’s easier to scoop and clean, yet may come at a higher price tag compared to crumble feed.
Pellet feed is compact and less prone to clumping than other forms of feed, helping reduce wasteful feed wastage when feeding chicks or young chickens that often leave some uneaten on the ground. Furthermore, pellets are easier to handle and store since they do not break down as quickly, and have more specific layers nutrition content which make them suitable for layer nutrition – two key considerations when choosing which feed pellets to feed their flocks. Many poultry farmers opt for pellets when selecting their flock’s nutrition source.
Storage
Feeding chickens requires an investment, so reducing waste is crucial. Pellet feeds tend to be less prone to being spilled over or mishandled by flock members, thus decreasing food waste.
Crumble feed consists of pellets broken down into smaller, softer pieces. This food can be fed to both chicks (formulated as starter/grower feed) and small breed dogs that struggle to consume larger pelleted pieces of food.
Both crumble and pellet feeds are specially-designed to promote egg laying, so once your chickens reach 18-20 weeks they should be able to switch between the two without issue. It is wise, however, to rotate feed types so as to prevent your flock from developing an affinity towards any particular form. Doing this helps protect nutrient depletion and ensure healthy flocks; keeping all feed in its original bag would ensure proper rotation without risk of rot.
Cost
Both pellet and crumble feeds are designed to provide complete chicken nutrition, including grains, proteins, vitamins and minerals for their flock to thrive. Both options provide convenient feeding solutions; pellets tend to offer greater storage efficiency while being easier for keepers to scoop and clean up after. Furthermore, pellets may help reduce waste due to being harder for birds to pick off quickly before dropping it elsewhere.
Crackle feed is often preferred over pellets for chicks and juvenile chickens as it provides all of their daily nutrients in a more manageable format. Breeds with smaller beaks tend to prefer crumble feed over pellets when foraging for food; additionally crumble feed may appeal to foraging chickens more. In the end though, whatever works for you and your flock should ultimately prevail! A happy and healthy flock is more productive!
