Chicken Feed Review: Kalmbach Henhouse Reserve

[@marklese984]

I like that henhouse reserve....i mix a little scratch and fresh vegetables in with it and before I mix everything I let the feed a scratch soak a few minutes and they love it...yes they go through and pick out the good stuff first but they finish all of it I like a feed that actually smells like food...great video thank you

[@sandracrowe47]

I have been feeding my 5 Light Brahma hens the Henhouse Reserve for about 3 months now. I purchase Henhouse Reserve at Walmart for only $23 per bag. I get 4-5 eggs per day. At first they will eat only their favorites, but eventually they will eat the other. If that's what they have, they will eat it when they are really hungry and eventually be used to it. I also like to ferment the Henhouse Reserve every now and then.

[@stevenbrogdon3074]

Have you ever fermented your chicken food?? I have very picky hens and when they were fed dry grains (scratch and peck) they would choose the best. I started fermenting the food. They started eating every drop. Plus it cut costs in half feeding them. It’s also more beneficial for your girls. Great food. Ya expensive but u get what you pay for. And with just a few hens it is easy. I have 6.

[@CountryRhoadsHomestead]

We LOVE your chicken tenders journal!

[@Victorioushomestead]

Oh they will if you leave it and skip 1 day!! Then fill it up again! My chicken love it they do eat their favorites 1st but they will come back and get the rest. ❤️

[@realsimplemama]

That’s a good point too! ✌🏻❤️🐓

[@triciajessup7797]

I have 18 free range hens & a rooster, new to chicken raising. Got tired of chickens tipping feeder & making a mess. I started feeding mine from a big heavy rubber feed bowl & there's almost no wasted food on ground. And they can't tip it over. Only downside is my bowl is so big they walk in it, but oh well! I ferment feed or at least soak it before feeding. That also gives them extra hydration (they aren't guzzling water like they did with dry feed). I've tried several feeds (everything from cheap crumbles to Henhouse Reserve). The soak seems to make whole grains easier to eat, but they still eat the crumbles which turn into "chicken porridge" when soaked. I've found a balance of feed & water that seems to work for my girls without much waste, just have to basically have enough water that food stays below surface. I also throw out scratch, banana peels, leftovers, kefir grains, etc to give them variety. Hope this is helpful to someone! (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

[@patwilson707]

I have been using Purina layena for quite some time, but refuse to purchase a feed that comes from a Chinese owned company anymore!. I just purchased this hen house reserve from Kalmbach, they love it. We will monitor for the results.

[@Shelzbells]

My chickens are pretty picky, and it's my fault because I give them lots of treats, and greens. I have tried all kinds of chicken feeds and my girls pretty much hate all regular base feeds, especially in pellet form it seems. Of all the feeds I have tried, they like the Grubblys and the Henhouse reserve the Best. But yes, with the HHR they do pick out what they like best first and seem to leave the pellets and the corn last. If that is all they have available, they will eat it when they get hungry. IF you can refrain from feeling sorry for them and "giving in" with all the things they do love LOLOL. What I do is feed the HHR in a 3 Gal sized fortex rubber livestock bowl, and then my other feed is just a good quality layer feed such as Layena High Protein with the BSFL in it. That food is in a regular chicken gravity feeder. So with the HHR in the Big bowl there is no waste on the ground. Everything they don't eat stays in the bowl, and since they are not fond of the regular feed either...they dont really have a choice....its eat the Layena or eat the leftovers in the bowl..... and they do...they might be mad at me and give me dirty looks but thats ok....I still give them treats at least once a day LOL

[@brendabortels155]

I quit using the feed bucket and started using a lg bowl i also wait till its completely gone then i refill my chicks are free range too im on the fence with this stuff too

[@joyadams507]

That’s why I ferment a cup of this feed to feed them daily.. that way they eat it all

[@secretsiren6769]

I do too!!! And they eat it All that way and it’s super healthy

[@alisonorigel573]

My girls have been on dumor pellets from tractor supply, grub terra, 5 scratch grain and lots of kitchen scraps and lay great! Nice hard shells and great tasting eggs. I did get a good $10 coupon for nutrena I’m going to try. Pellets don’t get waisted like crumbles.

[@realsimplemama]

I agree - as a general rule, crumbles don’t work for me. There is a lot of difference between brands on the size of pellets though!

[@alisonorigel573]

@@realsimplemama yes!! My 2 week old babies waist so much right now.

[@sheridawnhayden]

I pay $18 for the 30# bag of Henhouse Reserve from a local farmer. Buying it on Chewy is ridiculously expensive!

[@Courtney-dp6kp]

Same

[@kenmosely540]

We just got some Cornish cross meat chickens and started them on kalmbach chick starter 22percent protein been feeding this to our chicks for a week now and their growing crazy it's amazing so far we got it from a feed store in our area about 23$for 50pounds only a couple dollars more than other brands protein in other brands was only 18percnt

[@Nikki29405]

I have had the same problems with this same food.

[@kellyraner1608]

I really appreciate the time you take to do a full review! I know it's more effort to ferment, but the best I've found for fermenting is scratch&peck organic layer feed. It doesn't have any pellet in it so it ferments without making a funky paste and they eat it all. For a whole grain quality feed it might be worth a comparison evergreen without fermenting! I don't do fermented every day, and use nutrena hearty hen pellets free fed. I can't recommend it enough! They have a rewards program as well called plaid perks and you can earn coupons! For the wasted feed, have you considered a grandpa's feeder? They're pricey, but girl, the amount I've saved in cutting back wasted feed had paid for it several times over!

[@realsimplemama]

Thanks for all the suggestions! For my family’s sake we’re not spending extra money on chicken supplies right now but I’ll keep it in mind for the future! ✌🏻❤️🐓

[@JulieDobbins.76]

I wonder if you were to hang the feeder up if that would help stop them from scratching it out of the feeder.

[@realsimplemama]

Hey! For some reason I’m paranoid about fully filling the feeder, mounting and hanging it, and then the hardware ripping out of the wall. But it’s quite possible! I do have my feeders up off the ground by a good 8-10” and when I had a bad food waste issue (aka messy birds) I put cookie sheets under the feeders. They catch the spilled food and is pour it right back in the feeder. ✌🏻❤️🐓

[@angelareynolds1111]

I have the exact same issue with my chickens with kalmbach. They won't eat any of the brown pellets!! I've been looking into other options. They don't like pellets at all. I even bought the full plum kalmbach pellets and they won't eat that either! Idk what to do! That's the healthy stuff they need! Week. Ugh they are something else lol!!!

[@d.a.tsun5104]

"If you have chickens that eat all their foods and not pick and choose..." Anyone? LOL. I have the same exact problem. We gave them Layena, their eggs were bright orange and creamy but they didn't seem to like it. They ate it only because there's just that but the feed buckets didn't empty much for days - but it's also when we let them free range entire 2 acres so they probably got their bellies full from insects and weeds (and their yolk color from that too?). After the 2nd dog attack that killed 5, including our only breeder rooster, we fenced them to still quite large area but they work that area clean already. Since then we gave them whole grain mix - and o dear lord, the floor of the coops were covered with corn and BOSS (which then invited mice and squirrels so we practically feed wildlife/although the chickens catch some mice too). This winter we switched their feed with a high protein pellets from our local feed store but they barely even touched it. I think it's too hard and looks unappetizing (it doesn't smell bad but not nice either to my nose, just like compressed grass). Once a week I scrambled excess eggs for them but I feel like they're not eating the rest of the week. My chickens do not look like fluff balls like in many pictures for their breeds.

[@kdavis450]

My chicken food looks like that but I mix it. I buy the oats, black oil sunflower seeds, barley, millet, flax seed, dry green peas or lentils and I mix it with crumble. I do this for my one disabled, indoor chicken. She doesnt usually prefer the sunflower seeds but she does pick through it and leave some. Ive always heard/read that they know what their bodies need and they eat accordingly and what they need may change a bit daily. I also have a mash that I give her but I ferment that and give her a small amount in the morning and evening. I tried mixing that in with the grains but she just flings it all out of the feeder and I have to refill it daily (its the small jar with feeder base that chicks use). Ive started using Cluck and Co as that is new at TSC, its organic and since the ordeal with chickens not laying from Puritans Pride TSC food that is made by Purina, I REFUSE to buy anything made by Purina now. I am going to switch food soon though. There is an urban farmers store close to my work, where we pick up our chicks that sells foods from local feed mills/grain companies. Some of the foods are very well priced I feel and in the next couple of trips that I will be picking up chicks, Im going to get a bag and try it with my disabled hen bc she is laying. I do really like the look of the Kalmbach food though! Im going to look it up and Grubblys food..

[@cherylcase252]

I tried it but my chickens did not like the Hen House Reserve and of course I did not see any improvement in egg production. Mine also picked out a few things they liked and scattered all the rest. I quit feeding it because I felt more rodents would be visiting their run.

[@kristyrisner3406]

Love the review! ❤

[@dons2652]

Did you try hanging the feeder

[@realsimplemama]

Hi! I have done it in other chicken coops but chose not to with this one. ✌🏻❤️🐓

[@beverlymichael5830]

I ferment the feed that has the variety of grains and pellets. There is no picking and choosing. And hey eat every bit I ferment four days and keep rotating small buckets of the feed. For their dry feed I use crumbles. No picking out certain pieces.

[@lisasallee7833]

Mine love hen house they did scratch it out at first I just wouldn’t put more out until they ate it. They don’t do it anymore they just eat it

[@realsimplemama]

That’s true! I’m worried about them attracting rats and mice but your strategy works too! ✌🏻❤️🐓

[@youcanstickit]

I buy Purina layer crumbles. It has everything in it, and my hens love it. My old girls are laying well and have no problems with egg conditions. I pay 22 for a 50lb bag from Tractor supply. Lol never mind. You are already using it

[@an5210]

worst company ever tho

[@nancydavis4904]

It's the same thing here they will not eat the pellets, I don't know what to do. such a wast

[@realsimplemama]

I mean, if you just left the pellets they would eventually eat it (rather than starve). But yes it is so frustrating! ✌🏻❤️🐓

[@lucindamuniz2100]

I have tried all kinds of feed my birds are just spoiled lol they want treats and scraps every so often I let them out of the run and let them graze the rest of my backyard lol

[@evelynrogers7145]

I like to keep it simple. Nutrena

[@alisonorigel573]

They have $10 off coupons now. I’m going to try it!

[@realsimplemama]

Hi! Where’d you find the coupons?

[@smoothtwh]

Respectfully, is Purina paying you?

[@lluviarico9781]

I love you chickens ❤️🐀🐀🐀🐀

[@realsimplemama]

Love you so much! ❤️❤️❤️

[@lluviarico9781]

@@realsimplemama I love you more❤️❤️🐀🐀🐀

[@vatirhea]

Buy a quality feeder and you won't have the waste. There are much better feeders available than the cheap ones you're using. I feed Henhouse Reserve to my girls with virtually no waste.

[@bjudy]

What feeder are you using.