Chickens are refusing to switch over to layer feed?

[twinkids*tripletchicks]

We are new to chickens. We have 3 that we have had since they were 1 day old. They started laying about a month ago. When we got our 1st egg, I bought layer food and started mixing it in with the starter/grower. They are not eating the new food. We tried a different brand, still no. We tried offering them only the layer and they didn't eat it (was only willing to do this 1 day because I didn't want them to starve so put back in the starter). These chickens are picky in general, they won't eat treats (no go on eggs, yogurt, raspberries). They won't eat slugs even when they are hanging out right in plain view (aren't they supposed to eat that sort of thing?) They do like to tear up my dahlias though-yum!

Any advice please? I am worried that they will be nutrient deficient on the starter diet.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Hmmmm... My chickens will eat anything, so I have a hard time understanding the picky ones. However, I do know that chickens generally don't like change, but I can't imagine that if they are given food that is fresh that they won't eventually eat it. Have you tried hand feeding some of it to them?

Hopefully someone has a more definitive answer for you.

 

[Ole rooster]

When I changed over I just dumped the layer on top of what medicated feed was in the feeder. That gave it a little slower introduction. I noticed one or two of the chickens took a pellet out and checked it out, but the rest jumped right in. I don't understand the picky one either.

 

[monkeemakr]

Mine adamantly refused to touch pellets. They went a week and finally got sick from not eating and the stress so I gave up on pellets (I wanted pellets to cut down the waste). So I put them back on started, and then went to laying mash, and they did fine with it. Not sure if you were trying the pellets or the mash?

 

[duckinnut]

Just can't seem to comprehend fussy chickens. My girls fight for what ever they get for treats. Having a mixed age flock has been a torment of feed changes but has gone fairly seemless for me. For my new girls they went from stater/grower to flock raiser when they went to the main coop then on to layer pellet at about 18 weeks all without complaint. My older girls went from layer to flock then back to layer although I used to mix crumble and pellet but got tired of the waste from crumble. Not that I wasted it,would sprinkle the dust on watermelon or into plain yogurt. But everybody is on layer pellet now.

What I would do is switch back to layer and dont let them free range so much,believe me they will eat it when they get hungry enough. You teach them dont let then teach you. My dog has got the best of me but not letting the chickens get away with it.

 

[florida lee]

I would put out the layer crumbles, they will eat it sooner or later as long as nothing else is offered.