Chickens stopped eating pellets

[Bonnieboo]

Hi all,
I have a problem. My chooks have just decided they are no longer interested in eating their pellets.
Now you need background: About two weeks ago I mixed up worming powder (fenbendazole) with pellets as instructed. They would not eat them.
My husband suggested the smell in the treadle feeder might be putting them off so I tried a bowl of the prepared pellets and they scoffed them.
So, for the next week they were fed by bowl.
Right, worming completed. I washed the treadle feeder and refilled it with fresh pellets. They now won't eat. I thought that they may have been put off by the feeder so I gave them some in a bowl. Still not interested. Not too interested in their cup of seed in the morning either (this really is a big thing, they go mad for their morning treat!). The only snack they have eaten all of is the cobbs of sweet corn I gave them yesterday. They love melon, yoghurt, grapes etc but anything I offer they only peck at.
On sunday I had to put one of their sisters to sleep as she was very ill. Somehow she had become extremely anaemic and I was told any treatment would only be bandaid and she was so unwell. The decision was made to end her suffering. As always when this happens I am devastated and do a lot of crying
Anyway, I don't think this is what has caused the eating issue as it was happening for a week before she got sick.
The weather has been pretty hot (February is our hottest month in Western Australia) but not unusually so. Besides they have never done this before.
I'm desperate for help. When I clean up their droppings every morning there are so few and it's a terrible worry. I really hope someone can help before they fade away.

 

[raingarden]

Mixing a little milk or nutritional yeast in with the pellets might make them more palatable.

 

[Bonnieboo]

Thanks. I'll try that tomorrow

 

[SueT]

Make sure the pellets aren’t out of date or moldy. If they are fresh and smell fine, adding water and turning them into a mash might help.
My chickens balk at pellets so I feed crumbles. I realize yours have been on pellets before, but anyway, it may be a good time to transition to crumbles.

 

[Bonnieboo]

Thanks for the tip. I was actually toying with the idea of changing to crumble. I'll go out and buy a small pack today

 

[Bonnieboo]

Right. They weren't particularly interested in the pellets with milk.
The nice fresh crumble is of very little interest. The only thing they will eat all of, is fresh corn on the cobb.
They normally eat huge amounts of feed and get regular snacks. I gave them a cauliflower this afternoon (they looove cauliflower) and they've only pecked the surface.
The whole situation is crazy and I'm totally at a loss. I really hope someone can help...

 

[Acre4Me]

How old is the feed? Sometimes feed gets old or compromised with mold, and chickens won’t eat it.


Have you tried a mash? In our hot months, I’ll give my flock pellets soaked with water to a thick consistency. I’ll push ice cubes into it to keep it cool and wet as they melt. I sprinkle some seeds or scratch on top to get them interested (particularly black seeds grab their attention). Yours love fresh corn, so maybe throw some kernals on top since that is familiar to them. I put it in a shady area and they act like it’s the best thing ever. A couple reasons I do this: sometimes when hot, they just hang out in the shade and eat little. I give this mash to them in the early/mid afternoon. Also, if they aren’t drinking enough, they don’t lay as well, so the mash provides some hydration.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I also recommend trying a wet mash. Mine eat that before eating pellets.
Most of my flock will choose to eat their daily mash before even eating any if the scratch.

I feed mash daily since I have a cross beaked bird who needs her food that way.

 

[K0k0shka]

Do you have any vets nearby? Sounds like a more general loss of appetite, not anything about the pellets/crumble specifically, if they are also not interested in their usual favorite treats. If it's a flock-wide issue there might be something else going on. See if you can have a vet examine one of the birds, and ask about what could cause appetite loss like this.

 

[Bonnieboo]

I also recommend trying a wet mash. Mine eat that before eating pellets.
Most of my flock will choose to eat their daily mash before even eating any if the scratch.

I feed mash daily since I have a cross beaked bird who needs her food that way.

Thanks for getting in touch This may sound rather dumb, but what exactly is mash? I see it mentioned often and have never heard of it in Australia.