This is important. If they won't eat it, they're not getting the lauded nutrients. Below a relevant quote from Robinson that I posted on another thread:There was one that I thought would be great, had all the right ingredients and promises by the company, but the flock hated it, they were barely eating
I think you are right to trust your birds' instincts."Balancing the ration does not imply simply the provision of a given proportion of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. It is possible to construct a ration in which all the essential food constituents are present in the proper proportion, and yet it would fail on account of unpalatability, low digestibility or unsuitable physical condition... The formula is not the only matter to consider. By using inferior ingredients a mash may be made totally unsuitable...the value of a formula may be completely destroyed by the inclusion of poor-quality foods. Every poultry-keeper should learn to judge foodstuffs. They should be able to distinguish between the good, the bad and the indifferent." Leonard Robinson Modern Poultry Husbandry, published in 1948, and based on data and practices in the years between the two world wars, when poultry farmers made their own rations.