Chickens picking through feed for sunflower seeds?

[Foxinthehenhouse]

I have tried a few different feeds with my girls. Layer pellets and a few different natural blends. They seemed to never eat the pellets and they were overall just too big for them. Almost all the blends included black oil sunflower seeds which has led to a competition among them. Their coop now has a very expensive feed bedding. When I pour from the bag to fill their feeder they all run and use their beaks to spill out piles of the feed looking for sunflower seeds. It has caused food aggression between the 3 of them. The big girl attacks the medium girl for the seeds, and the medium girl attacks the smallest when they see them looking for the seeds. I am not sure they are eating anything else in the feed although I do occasionally catch them pecking at other things. They get treats. Apple, yogurt, oats, cabbage, meal worms, etc. They all love when they get the treats, but the feed has been a problem. I am not sure what I should do. Should I try and force a feed without the seeds on them? I fear they will still sweep out piles hoping to see a seed. Anyone else have this problem or a solution? Thanks for any help.
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[Chicken Heel]

Thanks for all the replies. I am thinking that what I will do is order a crumble and then try the fermented feed solution. I do notice that they like moist foods a lot (yogurt, sweet potato, watermelon, apples) so I think a moist food crumble/grains recipe may work well for them. I have a lot of the organic seed feeds so I think I will do a 2:1 ratio of one of those and a crumble. More crumble.

I live in an area where the legality of backyard chickens is touchy. They are legal 1/4 a mile in every direction, and every neighboring town, but not in the 'village' where I live. I have about an acre of property, but my neighbor has reported me to the police. In light of this, I tend to give them a treat to quiet them down because when they see me they make noise. Otherwise, they are usually very quiet. Maybe if I lighten up on the treats they will be less inclined to yell at me while I am gardening. We are currently in the process of doing a zoning variance to try and get them legal. We also have been communicating with the mayor as the zoning is very odd. I live in the suburban back roads of town where it is not legal, but the houses in the center of town near and around our main street it is legal. In any event I am prepared to fight for my right to keep them. I don't think I could see myself parting with them.

Your neighbor comment reminds me that I use to be a people person until people ruined it for me. As for the sunflower seeds, like everything in life moderation is the key. I have fed it to my chickens as part of their diet for a half century without issues.

 

[Foxinthehenhouse]

I have tried a few different feeds with my girls. Layer pellets and a few different natural blends. They seemed to never eat the pellets and they were overall just too big for them. Almost all the blends included black oil sunflower seeds which has led to a competition among them. Their coop now has a very expensive feed bedding. When I pour from the bag to fill their feeder they all run and use their beaks to spill out piles of the feed looking for sunflower seeds. It has caused food aggression between the 3 of them. The big girl attacks the medium girl for the seeds, and the medium girl attacks the smallest when they see them looking for the seeds. I am not sure they are eating anything else in the feed although I do occasionally catch them pecking at other things. They get treats. Apple, yogurt, oats, cabbage, meal worms, etc. They all love when they get the treats, but the feed has been a problem. I am not sure what I should do. Should I try and force a feed without the seeds on them? I fear they will still sweep out piles hoping to see a seed. Anyone else have this problem or a solution? Thanks for any help.

I only give sunflower seeds sparingly as a treat in winter, it is very fatty and that helps them stay warm.
Crumbles or mini pellets are your best bet. I’ve learned not to put anything in the feeder with the pellets or they just make a mess digging for it and waste a lot of food. I’ll throw a handful of oatmeal out for them. The pellets or crumble have everything nutritionally they need so not too many snacks! Other than many grit or oyster shells. The old saying, Killing them with kindness.....

 

[countryladyNH]

I have tried a few different feeds with my girls. Layer pellets and a few different natural blends. They seemed to never eat the pellets and they were overall just too big for them. Almost all the blends included black oil sunflower seeds which has led to a competition among them. Their coop now has a very expensive feed bedding. When I pour from the bag to fill their feeder they all run and use their beaks to spill out piles of the feed looking for sunflower seeds. It has caused food aggression between the 3 of them. The big girl attacks the medium girl for the seeds, and the medium girl attacks the smallest when they see them looking for the seeds. I am not sure they are eating anything else in the feed although I do occasionally catch them pecking at other things. They get treats. Apple, yogurt, oats, cabbage, meal worms, etc. They all love when they get the treats, but the feed has been a problem. I am not sure what I should do. Should I try and force a feed without the seeds on them? I fear they will still sweep out piles hoping to see a seed. Anyone else have this problem or a solution? Thanks for any help.

Stop feeding them the feed with 'goodies' in it. We did that once and had the same results you did. Like you, our hens get treats so no need really for the feed with all the extra stuff in it.
Crumbles were too messy---lots of dust and waste. Pellets are just too big. We found and love PRODUCERS PRIDE MINI PELLETS. Our hens, ducks and goose all get it, and like it.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Hens will always rake mixed seed feed looking for the treats. You can raise the front lip on some feeders to prevent the raking from dumping feed out onto the ground but the best advice is like the old doctor joke on Hee Haw....then stop doing that!

 

[RojoMarz]

I think that giving them treats to quiet them down, only reinforces them to squawk when they see you, as they know you are going to reward them...it's a vicious cycle.