Chickens will only use feeder as last resort.

[thecatumbrella]

For anyone interested (or not, sorry about that), here's our setup. Pellets get scattered around the entire run at least once a day. You'll also notice they're dust bathing next to their water cups (WHY?!) while ignoring the designated dust bath box we created in front of Rejected Feeder...

 

[dearmeghann]

It is so long as they eat all the pieces. Make sure they're clearing their chicknics and not leaving anything behind.

I really want a chicknic table (they're so cute!), but I think I'll go mad if I have to clean poo off one more thing...

Our ability to just get used to chicken poo is hilarious.

My partner loves to overfeed all of our animals. I feel like a monster trying to limit their scratch. The number of times I say, "10%!" during the week is hilarious. They didn't clean their plates. But I also think they were overserved lol!!

We're doing the FlockMaker and finishing up our Henhouse. We also have the Chickhouse. Since we have cockerels, I think we'll switch permanently to Chickhouse with oyster shells on the side. I've seen folks still give their roosters Henhouse and say that they pick around the calcium (pellets?).

Also, how funny are chickens? My HATE pellets. They love their crumble so much. We accidentally got a bag of pellet feed and have been mixing it in. They wait until it gets broken up to eat. Or if I put it on their mixed veggies/fruit ice block (probably bc it turns to a mash).

 

[Omelette-in-progress]

I was just about to post a version of this thread! But since this is pretty much the same...

I also have bantams, and they have DIY pipe feeders ( like this ) but mostly avoid them. Instead they spend all day pecking at nonexistent morsels hiding in the wood chips in their run. Anytime treats are available they take first priority, and their actual feed just gets ignored even more than usual.

Don't get me wrong, they do eat 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦, but when I check their crops during they day they always have little to nothing in them?

Any suggestions for making them take an interest in their feed?

 

[Esc_Quaily]

My ma keeps free-range silkies and bantams. They prefer to eat from little bowls she places around the area. She claims the hanging feeders are used more by garden birds than her chickens. It's been mentioned already that for some reason chickens prefer food from the ground than a nice clean feeder, chickens are a lot like children in that respect I think

 

[Omelette-in-progress]

My ma keeps free-range silkies and bantams. They prefer to eat from little bowls she places around the area. She claims the hanging feeders are used more by garden birds than her chickens. It's been mentioned already that for some reason chickens prefer food from the ground than a nice clean feeder, chickens are a lot like children in that respect I think

They really are a lot like children!
I haven't tried bowls, but I have tried scattering the feed about, and they cared for it even less then?

 

[thecatumbrella]

I was just about to post a version of this thread! But since this is pretty much the same...

I also have bantams, and they have DIY pipe feeders ( like this ) but mostly avoid them. Instead they spend all day pecking at nonexistent morsels hiding in the wood chips in their run. Anytime treats are available they take first priority, and their actual feed just gets ignored even more than usual.

Don't get me wrong, they do eat 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦, but when I check their crops during they day they always have little to nothing in them?

Any suggestions for making them take an interest in their feed?

I have a couple suggestions.

Not sure where you're located, but the humidity in my area has been horrible this summer. You can feel the chicken crumble starting to absorb moisture from the air after only a couple days. I've started to offer much smaller amounts in their feeders that are refreshed more frequently. I'll also feel the crumble each day to ensure it's still crunchy.

Second, is I would cut out all treats. The birds will go on a hunger strike, but so long as the food is fresh, they will eventually eat it. Snacks and extras are now offered after 3PM. I do try to make their day more interesting by offering multiple ways to get food (regular feeder, cup that sits up on a perch, pellets on the ground, etc.).

Best of luck. Chickens can be very stubborn.

 

[Al Gerhart]

How old is the feed they are rejecting or is it the same feed in the feeders they are using?

Do the chickens tend to hang out in that area of the coop? Anything outside that they find threatening causing them not to spend much time up front?

As long as the feeder is stable, not rocking and rolling around, I don't see any reason why they would not use the feeder.

Test: pull that feeder to the back to see if it is the location or the feeder.

 

[Omelette-in-progress]

I have a couple suggestions.

Not sure where you're located, but the humidity in my area has been horrible this summer. You can feel the chicken crumble starting to absorb moisture from the air after only a couple days. I've started to offer much smaller amounts in their feeders that are refreshed more frequently. I'll also feel the crumble each day to ensure it's still crunchy.

Second, is I would cut out all treats. The birds will go on a hunger strike, but so long as the food is fresh, they will eventually eat it. Snacks and extras are now offered after 3PM. I do try to make their day more interesting by offering multiple ways to get food (regular feeder, cup that sits up on a perch, pellets on the ground, etc.).

Best of luck. Chickens can be very stubborn.

I use pellets and they seem to do ok with humidity but even when I do refresh it they still ignore it. I'll try adding some more options for them around the run like you said

How old is the feed they are rejecting or is it the same feed in the feeders they are using?

Do the chickens tend to hang out in that area of the coop? Anything outside that they find threatening causing them not to spend much time up front?

As long as the feeder is stable, not rocking and rolling around, I don't see any reason why they would not use the feeder.

Test: pull that feeder to the back to see if it is the location or the feeder.

They don't tend to hang out in one particular place in the run, and there isn't anything that I can see they would find threatening. The feeders are attached to the coop like this (see photo) so I can't move them easily to test it however.

Edit: it won't show the photo I tried to add.

 

[FrostRanger]

I agree with cutting out treats if they aren't eating their food, treats aren't a necessity but their regular feed is. If their regular food is fresh and the only thing available they'll eat it if they're hungry enough

 

[Omelette-in-progress]

I agree with cutting out treats if they aren't eating their food, treats aren't a necessity but their regular feed is. If their regular food is fresh and the only thing available they'll eat it if they're hungry enough

Unfortunately they seem to be so stubborn that even that won't work!
I recently went on holiday for 2 weeks (with someone to look after them) and during that time they had no treats at all, but when I came back, the feeders weren't nearly as empty as they should've been.