Changed chicks to pellets and now they are not laying! Help!

[michigan chick]

Last week I changed chickens to pellets from crumbs same brand and everything. They haven't laid an egg since. They really are not eating the pellets but I was giving scratch, sunflowers and oyster shells. Is it normal for them to go to such extremes as to stop laying. I have ten chickens and for one to stop laying I would think somethings wrong but all ten to stop it is something else. I bought crumbs today and mixed it in. I hope this helps. Any advise please help.

 

[CovenantCreek]

Buying the crumbles and mixing it with the pellets is probably the best thing to do. With most animal feeds they recommend introducing the new feed gradually by mixing it in with the old feed so that the change doesn't come as a shock to their digestive systems. In your case, it probably had more to do with the unfamiliar size/shape/texture than the actual ingredients, but still had a negative impact. By mixing the two, they'll inadvertently eat the pellets along with the crumbles and get used to the new stuff.

 

[Ellie_NY_chick]

My birds hated the pellets and there was nothing I could do to change that.

I was outnumbered.

They get crumbles now, which I think they throw at each other by the way the feeding areas look sometimes.

 

[cmom]

At first I mixed crumbles with pellets and now all they get is pellets. They will eat it when they get hungry enough. Did you change brands? I ran out and my feed store was closed so I went to TSC and bought a small bag to tide me over until I could get their regular brand. They didn't eat it too well. When I did get a bag of their regular feed I mixed it with the TSC brand and they ate it.

 

[RIVERRAT]

my birds refuse to eat pellets. had to grind them up.(the pellets)
now the love it.

 

[cherig22]

My chickens did not want to eat the pellets, then I realized I was giving them other food since they did not eat the pellets. When I gave them pellets in the morning, and the treats in the afternoon, they ate the pellets. And the treats in the afternoon.

Cheri

 

[Chauntecleer's Keeper]

My chickens eat what ever I take to them. I have used crumbles, pellets, birdseed (sometimes), fruit, greens, bread, cole slaw, and they even go peck at the goat feed if they can get away with it.

 

[Mahonri]

My chickens hate pellets, they waste crumble, but if they don't eat pellets they too are wasted.

I guess next trip to the feed store it's more crumbles.