Chickens will not eat layer crumble

[noisegeyser]

My chickens have been spoiled with too much scratch and table scraps, and now they're refusing to eat their layer crumble. They pay no attention to it. If I leave them with only crumble to eat for a day or two, will they likely start to eat it again? I bought a new bag yesterday, so I know it's still good.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Cut out all the treats and only use the bird ration. They’ll eat when they’re hungry.

 

[TwoCrows]

X2 on the above post. They get too spoiled and turn up their beaks at chicken feed. Just cut out the extras completely and they will eat their food.

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh and welcome to BYC!

 

[noisegeyser]

Alright, thank you. I should have figured they wouldn't let themselves go hungry.

 

[WindingRoad]

My chickens have been spoiled with too much scratch and table scraps, and now they're refusing to eat their layer crumble. They pay no attention to it. If I leave them with only crumble to eat for a day or two, will they likely start to eat it again? I bought a new bag yesterday, so I know it's still good.

My birds won't eat crumble. They like pellets. They were eating pellets, the guy who gave them to me had some, and I didn't look closely at the bag and bought crumbles. They wouldn't eat. I got some pellets and mixed the two.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Alright, thank you. I should have figured they wouldn't let themselves go hungry.

Yeah chickens are driven by the two f’s: food and fornication

 

[TwoCrows]

Alright, thank you. I should have figured they wouldn't let themselves go hungry.

Its easy to spoil them, chickens know how to give you those sad feed me eyes. But in the future just go easy on the goodies. Once a day is enough and only what they can eat in very short order.

 

[SueT]

I agree, stop all treats. Try adding water to the crumble. Mine really like it moist. Even better, let some set over nite and ferment a bit. They will probably like it! I only feed scratch or scraps in the late pm when the feed has been eaten.
Oh and check the date on the bag of feed and make sure it really is fresh-as in less than 2 months old......

 

[noisegeyser]

One last thing: Am I doing any harm to my rooster by giving him layer crumble along with everyone else? I've had them for four years and they all seem pretty healthy, but recently I've heard that it can be hard on their bodies.