Chickens almost exclusively eating scratch

[MrsEarthern]

ETA: To up the nutritional value of grain you can sprout it for 3-4 days and add some brewers yeast to it.

Is there a nutritional difference between brewers yeast and active champagne yeast? I have the later due to making homemade root beer.

 

[LaFleche]

Is there a nutritional difference between brewers yeast and active champagne yeast? I have the later due to making homemade root beer.

Although I know that there exist different yeast strains depending on what kind of alcoholic beverage will be produced, I don't know if yours will work better or worse than the normal brewers yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae).

 

[MrsEarthern]

Although I know that there exist different yeast strains depending on what kind of alcoholic beverage will be produced, I don't know if yours will work better or worse than the normal brewers yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae).

I believe that champagne yeast is slower and produces a lower alcohol content when fermenting.
What I have is a strain of saccharomyces cerevisiae.

 

[raingarden]

It is not uncommon for chickens to reject pelleted feed but accept crumble feed. It will take a few days to get over the fact they are not getting scratch candy. For a supplement get Anthony's Nutritional Yeast.

 

[3KillerBs]

Put their food in a feeder that they can’t poop in. Fill it up, walk away.

This.

No healthy animal will starve itself in the presence of food if you simply withdraw the chicken candy.

If possible, hang your feeder from a chain so that you can continue to adjust it's height as the birds grow.

I hang mine at the level of the taller hens' backs and put a block nearby for the shorter birds to stand on.

 

[MrsEarthern]

I hung it up and it instantly became attractive again.
Am also sprouting some grain and fermenting some cracked corn.

 

[MrsEarthern]

Update: The chickens were previously eating about 1/4 pound each of the previous feed.
When I hung up the feeder they started eating the new feed again, I had put the usual amount in and next day most of it was still there; so I added a cup of water and they ate a good bit of it but day three they couldn't reach so I added a little more water and they started eating again. They eat little pockets out of it where the feeder holes are but it's too thick to fill in the gaps.
So we are now on day 4 of this same serving of feed, day three of it being wet.
How often should I dump it?
I intend to give them a little less feed tomorrow so it's not wasted.
As for sprouted scratch and fermented cracked corn, I understand that most recommend only about a tablespoon per bird per day- I assume that is for standard sized birds such as my flock?
Thank you!

 

[3KillerBs]

Update: The chickens were previously eating about 1/4 pound each of the previous feed.
When I hung up the feeder they started eating the new feed again, I had put the usual amount in and next day most of it was still there; so I added a cup of water and they ate a good bit of it but day three they couldn't reach so I added a little more water and they started eating again. They eat little pockets out of it where the feeder holes are but it's too thick to fill in the gaps.
So we are now on day 4 of this same serving of feed, day three of it being wet.
How often should I dump it?
I intend to give them a little less feed tomorrow so it's not wasted.
As for sprouted scratch and fermented cracked corn, I understand that most recommend only about a tablespoon per bird per day- I assume that is for standard sized birds such as my flock?
Thank you!

Wet feed won't flow in a gravity feeder and the wet feed that sticks in there will mold and spoil.

If you feed wet feed you need to feed it in bowls -- offering only as much as they will eat before it can spoil and cleaning the bowls between batches.

I really think that if you were to clean and dry your feeder, fill it with dry feed, hang it back up, and let them alone -- offering nothing else whatsover in any quantity -- you'd soon find that they were eating what was available.

They might gripe and complain because they're used to you reswarding that behavior by giving them candy and cake, but within 3 days they'd eat what they have available. No healthy animal will starve itself in the presence of food.

AFTER they learn to eat the healthy feed you've put into their feeder you could, if you wanted to, reintroduce treats in limited quantities. But only if you're willing to keep it limited and not let them train you to feed them on candy and cake again.

 

[MrsEarthern]

Wet feed won't flow in a gravity feeder and the wet feed that sticks in there will mold and spoil.

If you feed wet feed you need to feed it in bowls -- offering only as much as they will eat before it can spoil and cleaning the bowls between batches.

I really think that if you were to clean and dry your feeder, fill it with dry feed, hang it back up, and let them alone -- offering nothing else whatsover in any quantity -- you'd soon find that they were eating what was available.

They might gripe and complain because they're used to you reswarding that behavior by giving them candy and cake, but within 3 days they'd eat what they have available. No healthy animal will starve itself in the presence of food.

AFTER they learn to eat the healthy feed you've put into their feeder you could, if you wanted to, reintroduce treats in limited quantities. But only if you're willing to keep it limited and not let them train you to feed them on candy and cake again.

We can't blame them, it was all me. I spoiled them so they'd let me pet them quicker, they don't even complain (besides giving me the cold shoulder), I'm just a worry wort.
I will clean and dry the feeder and add some pellets.

 

[MrsEarthern]

AFTER they learn to eat the healthy feed you've put into their feeder you could, if you wanted to, reintroduce treats in limited quantities. But only if you're willing to keep it limited and not let them train you to feed them on candy and cake again.

They have only been given their feed since I posted the question.
I'm trying to be good.