Feed terminology can be dauntingly complex for new chicken keepers. From mash, crumbles, pellets and scratch mix – to all manner of terms in backyard chicken culture!
Mash is loose chicken feed designed for chicks that is easily digested. It can also be mixed with hot water to form porridge-like consistency.
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Laying Mash
Laying mash is a complete feed formulated specifically to meet the nutritional requirements of laying hens for egg production. This feed typically contains high levels of proteins and calcium while providing other essential minerals and vitamins as well.
Mash is ground into a coarse powder-like consistency for easy consumption by chickens, particularly bantam and smaller breeds which may struggle to consume pelleted feed. Mash can be particularly helpful for these species due to its easy digestion. It is especially well suited to bantam breeds which struggle with digesting larger pellets.
Mash is then rolled into a cylindrical shape and compressed using steam, mechanical pressure, and moisture into pellets that will become part of their complete diet. Although more costly than mash, pellets offer additional nutritional benefits due to being smaller and easier to digest for the chickens. Incorporating pellet feeding has also shown improvement in production performance and nutrition metabolism through positive changes in laying rate, feed intake, and egg albumen quality.
Crumbles
If you want to reduce waste, crumbles may be more cost-effective for you than pellets. Crumbles are similar in formulation but undergo an additional step that makes them compacted for easier management and feeding purposes.
Crumble chicken feed resembles oatmeal in texture and can help transition baby chicks between starter/grower feed and pellet whole grain mix as they mature into adult chickens. Some chicken lovers swear by its texture claiming their girls prefer it over any other type of feed.
No matter which kind of chicken feed you select, an ideal complete laying formula should contain plenty of protein and calcium for maximum egg production. Supplementing commercial feed with table scraps and garden greens is another effective way of keeping flock healthy; additionally hens require shell grit to ensure proper digestive function.
Pellets
Pellets are small cylindrical balls of chicken feed designed to maintain their shape when dropped by your flock and remain easy to pick up if they fall from their feeder accidentally. Pellets also make serving and storing convenient!
Rolling and cracking pellets into crumbles is the final step of this process, producing coarser than mash but less compact than pellets crumbles are often used as an intermediary between these two forms of food for chickens of all ages; bantam breeds who struggle to consume large sized pellets may find these to be particularly appealing.
No matter the form of your chicken food, complete laying formulation will contain high concentrations of proteins, calcium and vitamins essential to egg production and healthy hens. Supplement your feed with kitchen scraps, bugs and garden greens so your flock has an ideal diet; this will promote good health for them while guaranteeing high quality eggs produced.
Scratch Mix
Scratch mix is an assortment of grains and seeds designed to offer your chickens a tasty treat, without overfeeding and contributing to nutritional deficiencies. Since scratch mix treats do not meet this standard, its consumption should be restricted in order to prevent overeating which could result in feather damage, shorter molt cycles, or lack of egg production during summer months.
Starter/grower feeds typically consist of a combination of mash and pellets to support chicks during their first several months of life. Protein-rich starter/grower food promotes rapid development, and different formulas exist for different ages of chicks.
Most mash-based feeds come in resealable bags. Grain ingredients are ground into powdered form before being combined with protein meal and health supplements, then formed into compact cylindrical pellets called pellets that are easy for chickens to pick up.
