Chickens (peepers) won't eat pellets

[Odii]

Howdy all,

So my chickens are 18-19 weeks old now. They were on starter crumble and since I have moved over to Pellets they waste so much of them, I have a PVC gravity feeder that I made, which worked great for the crumble, but the pellets, its almost like they take all of them out to find crumble.

I feed them scratch and lots of greens as treats, but I hate seeing all this pellet food going to waste. I had the in between pellets and I already have a 50lb bag of layer pellets when they're ready for that.

Help!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/441944/reducing-feed-waste-from-pvc-pipe-feeders
you might enjoy this thread

 

[Odii]

Thanks for that link, I had read that a while back. I might consider adding some sort of guard. I don't have an open bottom like that, I use a Y, so its a much smaller opening for food - I also didn't have any waste with the crumble - just the pellets.

I'll try that. I just wish they didn't seem to dislike the pellets so much, hehe.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thanks for that link, I had read that a while back. I might consider adding some sort of guard. I don't have an open bottom like that, I use a Y, so its a much smaller opening for food - I also didn't have any waste with the crumble - just the pellets.

I'll try that. I just wish they didn't seem to dislike the pellets so much, hehe.

A lot of people have their chickens turn up their beaks at pellets after eating crumbles.

 

[Quyen Le]

Take all their food away, use a plate and put very small amount of pellets, they will try and get use to them, then add to the feeder. Hope this helps.

 

[Odii]

Take all their food away, use a plate and put very small amount of pellets, they will try and get use to them, then add to the feeder. Hope this helps.

OK I was wondering if this would work. I feel terrible doing it - I wasn't sure if they would starve themselves. Everyday I go see them, they act like they are starving - melodramatic throwing wing over their head and pretending to faint (j/k).

I had just cleaned their run too - and now there are pellets everywhere.

I think I made a mistake and put some scratch in with their pellets to try and get them to eat the pellets, now they toss aside the pellets looking for scratch =/

 

[lbrtyldy]

That's frustrating when they don't eat their food! Do you leave it on the floor so they have a chance to eat it? If they don't get anything else, will they eat it or not?