Farmgate layers pellets

[AmberSky]

Has anyone got any experience with farmgate layers pellets, the ones in the blue/green plastic sack?

i always avoided them as they are the cheapest! though my hens now are eating twice as much other pellets as normal so i wondered about buying the cheaper farmgate brand.

[Redwing]

[tom123]

I agree Unless I'm desperate!

[Egluntyne]

Mine eat them quite happily when I can't get hold of my usual brand.

[Griffin]

I bought some once way back when mine ate pellets and was horrified to see bits of plastic and Lord knows what in the pellets It was that that made me wonder what was actually in my usual brand of pellets and I looked into changing their diet. They're now on mixed grains and I'd never ever ever go back to pellets!

[AmberSky]

Thanks guys and gals, i think i have my answer!

[quickcluck]

Are you sure they are eating more?

I remember when mine did this, and I could keep up, When we investigated they were wasting most of it chucking it on the floor, a change of feeder sorted this, and now it lasts twice as long

[shoura]

what is wrong with farmgate pellets? Mine seem quite well and happy on them. I didn't realise they are the cheapest, just bought them as they are the only ones my local petshop stocks, so convenience was the motivation really!
Edit: also, I think the fact they are in a plastic bag is an advantage, as I had the bottom lot of pellets go mouldy in a paper bag in my shed, presumably absorbed some damp from the floor.

[Redwing]

A change of feeder might help as Quickcluck says, also do check that something else isnt eating the pellets - furry or feathery

Also if they are genuinely eating a lot try buying more expensive food, stick with me....

Very cheap food has more filler in (I'm not citing any particular brand here)

Of course price alone doesnt dictate quality so it might take a few tries but when you do find a good quality food you'll find that the chooks will eat less of it as they dont need as much to get the nutrients (they will however guzzle it down for the first week or so and you have to wait a while to see the effect )

If you are already feeding a premium brand then I would look to the top of my post for the answers

Personally I find that feed 'sweats' in plastic bags so wont feed anything that comes in one apart from corn and wheat that I immediately decant in to feed bins

Any feed will go mouldy if it gets damp so storage is important

[Egluntyne]

......... my hens now are eating twice as much other pellets as normal so i wondered about buying the cheaper farmgate brand.

Are they eating more because they have come into lay, when their appetites increase massively, or could you possibly have a rat?

[Madchook]

Gosh, I have often used Farmgate, my last lot mostly had it, am using their chick crumb now as it is all our local feed store stock as far as I know (they keep it all out back and just bring it to you). I don't want to pay a fortune for organic either. Infact they always did quite well on it, when they all started having problems with softies, perotonitis etc they were actually all on the special battery hen food as I had exbatts too. So I wonder if it was just co-incidence really...

Will have to have a rethink maybe when it comes to growers...'food for thought' How hard is it to balance grain griffin, and how much storage do you need?

[Stevie]

I bought a sack of Farmgate mash recently and i must say that mine absolutely love the stuff.Its a lot more grainy than the normal Dodson & Horrell mash i usually get and dont have the pleasant smell,but they've always got their faces stuck in the feeder.When they're freeranging the garden,i stick a tupperware tub outside full of it on lawn and they're always comming over for a feed.

I really cannot fault it.

[Janty]

I bought the growers pellets once when I was desperate but when I opened it it was mouldy.

[AmberSky]

I think they are definitely eating more as they have all come into are lay,
did not want to really buy the cheapest feed, though now i may have no choice
as i have just been to vets with my dog which sprained her leg and it cost me £52 for 5 mins consultation an injection and some medicine not very flush with money as it is and i nearly feinted when the receptionist told me how much it was, she even seemed apologetic!

[Gelbel]

I used Farmgate once for my lot - it was a 'drive buy' purchase as there are not too many chook supplies round here. I thought it looked good and the girls seemed to enjoy it.

I would happily use it again.