Chickens aren’t eating their layer feed

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

I normally give them two scoops of layer feed, and a scoop of cracked corn. There’s close to 50 chickens in the pen.
Things to consider:
1. I do not add in treats except what bugs they can scratch up in the pen. It’s definitely not a kid eating dessert for dinner issue.
2. I have not switched layer feed recently. They get the TSC brand stuff, and they have loved it before for years.
3. This feed is perfectly fine. It has no mold, has been stored in incredibly dry containers, no critters can break into it, etc.

Why are my chickens being picky?

 

[azygous]

Age of this flock? If they are old enough to be molting, their appetites may be suffering due to molt.

During molt, egg laying decreases and often stops all together. General activity level also decreases. Therefore, their nutritional needs also decrease since demand on their bodies decreases. Feed consumption will naturally increase as days lengthen.

It is better not to offer cracked corn with the commercial feed since it dilutes the amount of nutrients they need to be consuming from their commercial feed, and not offer it every single day. That way, the chickens will consume the commercial feed in proper amounts to effectively support their nutritional needs.

 

[K0k0shka]

1. I do not add in treats except what bugs they can scratch up in the pen. It’s definitely not a kid eating dessert for dinner issue.

I'm afraid it sounds exactly like a kid eating dessert for dinner kind of issue. Cracked corn is dessert. It's a treat, not something to be fed in large amounts, and 1/3 of what you offer is a very large amount. So you are in fact adding treats, in much greater amounts than what's recommended for treats (over three times the recommended amount of 10%). Your chickens are eating the corn preferentially and leaving out the layer feed. I'd recommend you cut out the corn entirely, until they start reliably eating the feed. Then you can reintroduce the corn, as a treat only, at no more than 10% of their daily intake, and not every day. Corn is not necessary if you feed a complete formula poultry feed. It's just for fun, but just like dessert and kids, they prefer it over regular dinner and may refuse their regular dinner in favor of the candy.

 

[Al Gerhart]

You should be feeding by weight, not volume. 1/4 pound of pellets or crumble per day, ignore the roosters unless you have a lot of them. And ditto on the other advice given, no need for corn.

 

[TheDandyLion]

You've probably already checked it, but....one additional question that came to my mind. What is the mill date of the feed? I ask because when I went to pick up a bag of feed at TSC in October they had bags with mill dates back in February.

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

You've probably already checked it, but....one additional question that came to my mind. What is the mill date of the feed? I ask because when I went to pick up a bag of feed at TSC in earlier October they had bags with mill dates back in February.

Huh… no, I haven’t.
That could be the problem.
I’ve been doing my feed thing for over three years, and nothing like this has ever happened. I will grab the feed bags from the trash tomorrow morning and see what it is

 

[Al Gerhart]

Feed with oil content does become rancid quickly. I had the bright idea to purchase all the feed needed to grow out 1000 catfish and half way through the grow out the fish stopped eating the feed! Had to feed it to the hogs and buy fresh fish feed each week.

 

[Exopoulterer]

Definitely look into the feed quality. A few years ago I had cat food and litter quality control issues from TSC brands that I had previously used for a few years.

First it was the unscented litter that came out so perfumed that one of my cats wouldn't even go near it. I stopped buying that kind for a few months even if it was the cheapest I could find anywhere. After giving it another chance it was fine for a while until another issue with quality happened and they must have missed adding enough bentonite or whatever makes it clump. One day of use and it turned into a stinking muddy mess. I have never seen anything like it.

Then it hit the 4 Health grain free food that I was feeding them. First I bought the one that had fish in it that had a distinct fishy odor that the cats and I were used to when I would feed them that. The bag had a different shaped and lighter colored kibble inside that smelled like cheap corn based cat food. I brought it back and tried another bag but it was the same. No way was it the same stuff. Then when I was using the different flavor of 4 Health grain free for a while, one bag came with big ol kibble pieces too big for cats. It was actually dog food...

I brought these back, followed through with emails but was just gas lit. They told me there were changes to the kibble forms and that was all.

Quality control was bad. Change of feed suppliers and ingredients in the same bags.

Never again with those products... I can't trust them.

The prices were great and quality was so good for a couple years I proudly told everyone where to get the good stuff.

I can smell it. I smell everything I don't want to even smell. A curse and a blessing.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

TSC is great, until they aren’t. I’ve been very happy with the various brands that Chewy delivers, and I always check the mill date first.

 

[Exopoulterer]

TSC is great, until they aren’t. I’ve been very happy with the various brands that Chewy delivers, and I always check the mill date first.

I read about chewy and recently placed and received my first chicken order with them. It doesn't hurt that they are about an hour away...

Two parts of the order (Nutrena All Flock Pellets and Manna Pro Grit) was delivered free shipping, fast and fresh! The flaked oyster shell that I wanted to try took a bit longer as it was from a company in Kentucky.

I used to order more frequently when I had my dog Joe.

I just got this from them today simply because I was having a hard time with getting suggestions for him as we had to put the old 16 year old man to rest last year and deleted his profile when I made the chicken order. Then made one for Scaley the Henster. That prompted a question asking why and I clicked that he had passed away. I didn't expect this!