Chickens won’t eat feed

[Nofowlplay]

I bet your kids wouldn't eat their veggies if you gave them cake and ice cream first. stop feeding them the fresh food and let them get hungry.

I'm trying, I don't think they ate any feed today. Or very little. still laying nice eggs though. Yesterday I mixed up some dried peas and millet with lentils and wheat jiust to be sure they some better food. Tomorrow going to mix feed in some scrambled eggs.

 

[paneubert]

I'm trying, I don't think they ate any feed today. Or very little. still laying nice eggs though. Yesterday I mixed up some dried peas and millet with lentils and wheat jiust to be sure they some better food. Tomorrow going to mix feed in some scrambled eggs.

Don't........seriously. Stop messing with their feed by adding to it. Just put out plain commercially produced feed. They will eat it when they are hungry. If you see them stop laying (for like a week straight), standing in one spot for hours looking weak, etc.... then you can start to worry. Until then, put out the regular feed and walk away from the feeders!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

 

[blackdog043]

Don't........seriously. Stop messing with their feed by adding to it. Just put out plain commercially produced feed.

^^^^^ This^^^^^^ Or stop wondering why your chickens are not eating their regular feed.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

 

[Acre4Me]

Chickens are creatures of habit. They have a habit of eating certain things right now, but they need to move to eating their balanced feed that has the right nutrients.

My chickens really think that wet feed is a treat!! They run over and practically lick the containers clean! I use pelleted grower feed, add water and wait 10 min...add more water if needed to a pancake batter consistency (their preference). I might stir in some scrambled egg or rehydrated alfalfa, and sometimes sprinkle some seeds or grains on top. Important to keep in mind protein percentages too. I use a 20% grower feed. Alfafa is 16% protein minimum, so their protein content is not taken below what a chicken generally needs (15-16% minimum).

True treats should be 10% or less of their food intake. However, at this point, you need to re-train them. Either give them only pelleted feed (and absolutely nothing else but that and water) or try a "treat" of wet feed. Try a bin with really wet feed - like thinner pancake batter, and another bin with thicker wet feed - more of a consistency of oatmeal (some BYCers find this is the texture preference for their flock) and you'll find out what your flock likes.

Good Luck.

 

[Nofowlplay]

Chickens are creatures of habit. They have a habit of eating certain things right now, but they need to move to eating their balanced feed that has the right nutrients.

My chickens really think that wet feed is a treat!! They run over and practically lick the containers clean! I use pelleted grower feed, add water and wait 10 min...add more water if needed to a pancake batter consistency (their preference). I might stir in some scrambled egg or rehydrated alfalfa, and sometimes sprinkle some seeds or grains on top. Important to keep in mind protein percentages too. I use a 20% grower feed. Alfafa is 16% protein minimum, so their protein content is not taken below what a chicken generally needs (15-16% minimum).

True treats should be 10% or less of their food intake. However, at this point, you need to re-train them. Either give them only pelleted feed (and absolutely nothing else but that and water) or try a "treat" of wet feed. Try a bin with really wet feed - like thinner pancake batter, and another bin with thicker wet feed - more of a consistency of oatmeal (some BYCers find this is the texture preference for their flock) and you'll find out what your flock likes.

Good Luck.

Thank you! I think part of the problem is they were on grower/starter when I got them and they just don't like the layer crumbles. I'm going to definitely follow your suggestions, and I'm going to try another brand of organic layer feed. Blessings

 

[Nofowlplay]

Chickens are creatures of habit. They have a habit of eating certain things right now, but they need to move to eating their balanced feed that has the right nutrients.

My chickens really think that wet feed is a treat!! They run over and practically lick the containers clean! I use pelleted grower feed, add water and wait 10 min...add more water if needed to a pancake batter consistency (their preference). I might stir in some scrambled egg or rehydrated alfalfa, and sometimes sprinkle some seeds or grains on top. Important to keep in mind protein percentages too. I use a 20% grower feed. Alfafa is 16% protein minimum, so their protein content is not taken below what a chicken generally needs (15-16% minimum).

True treats should be 10% or less of their food intake. However, at this point, you need to re-train them. Either give them only pelleted feed (and absolutely nothing else but that and water) or try a "treat" of wet feed. Try a bin with really wet feed - like thinner pancake batter, and another bin with thicker wet feed - more of a consistency of oatmeal (some BYCers find this is the texture preference for their flock) and you'll find out what your flock likes.

Good Luck.

How old are your chickens? Are they producing eggs and still on grower?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Chickens are creatures of habit. They have a habit of eating certain things right now, but they need to move to eating their balanced feed that has the right nutrients.

My chickens really think that wet feed is a treat!! They run over and practically lick the containers clean! I use pelleted grower feed, add water and wait 10 min...add more water if needed to a pancake batter consistency (their preference). I might stir in some scrambled egg or rehydrated alfalfa, and sometimes sprinkle some seeds or grains on top. Important to keep in mind protein percentages too. I use a 20% grower feed. Alfafa is 16% protein minimum, so their protein content is not taken below what a chicken generally needs (15-16% minimum).

True treats should be 10% or less of their food intake. However, at this point, you need to re-train them. Either give them only pelleted feed (and absolutely nothing else but that and water) or try a "treat" of wet feed. Try a bin with really wet feed - like thinner pancake batter, and another bin with thicker wet feed - more of a consistency of oatmeal (some BYCers find this is the texture preference for their flock) and you'll find out what your flock likes.

Good Luck.

Yes to all this.

My greedy goobers get wet feed (one cross beaked bird truly requires it) in the morning, dry feed available all day and 2 cups of scratch to share among 26 birds.

They eat every bit of the wet feed (oatmeal consistency) some dry feed and all the scratch.

Total amount of wet feed I take out is about 12 to 15 cups.

 

[Kiki]

How old are your chickens? Are they producing eggs and still on grower?

They can stay on grower feed their whole life, if isn't much different than an all flock type feed. Just be sure to add oyster shell on the side.