Feeding chickens

[StinkyAcres]

I know I’m late to reply, but is there any way to get my chickens to start eating their feed? When they were young and ate the chick starter, I could always feel their crops full, but now that I mostly only give them the pellets, they’ve become skinny and aren’t interested in the food unless they’re very hungry. What do I do?

Cut out the treats completely and they should eat more chicken feed. Also make sure the chicken feed is not expired or moldy.

EDIT: You can also switch back to the (unmedicated) chick starter and see if they'll eat that. As long as you offer crushed oyster or egg shells, they don't NEED the layer feed.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Your birds will need a quarter pound of feed per hen per day. Ignore the roosters unless you have a lot of roosters. You should keep feed in front of them 24/7 .

Sorry, I disagree. They don't eat at night so there is no need to keep feed in front of them at night unless you don't mind feeding rodents. We pick our feeders up at night and put them in a secure location, which in our case is the well house. We put them back out for the chickens at dawn. Oops, I see we've already discussed this. To each their own, I guess.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Hi, after reading your reply I got curious of something. How much food should I be offering them in the morning? And should I refill their food in the afternoon, a while before they sleep?

They should have access to chicken feed all day.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Why would you not calculate what the rooster eats? If you don't, the hens could get short-changed. Include enough for the rooster(s) as well, they have to eat.

 

[nuthatched]

I know I’m late to reply, but is there any way to get my chickens to start eating their feed? When they were young and ate the chick starter, I could always feel their crops full, but now that I mostly only give them the pellets, they’ve become skinny and aren’t interested in the food unless they’re very hungry. What do I do?

What are you feeding them?
Is it fresh?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I know I’m late to reply, but is there any way to get my chickens to start eating their feed? When they were young and ate the chick starter, I could always feel their crops full, but now that I mostly only give them the pellets, they’ve become skinny and aren’t interested in the food unless they’re very hungry. What do I do?

Chickens don't like sudden changes . When I switched mine from crumbles to pellets I did it gradually. I started by adding a small percentage of pellets in with their crumbles, basically just a handful. Over time I gradually increased the percentage of pellets. IIRC, I took about two weeks to get them fully transferred over to eating all pellets, maybe a little longer. You might try that and see if it works for you, good luck!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Oh, I also have to say I have since switched them BACK to crumbles, as the all-flock formula I get here does not come in pellets, only in crumbles. Now everybody's happy. It was easier switching them back.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Sorry, I disagree. They don't eat at night so there is no need to keep feed in front of them at night unless you don't mind feeding rodents. We pick our feeders up at night and put them in a secure location, which in our case is the well house. We put them back out for the chickens at dawn. Oops, I see we've already discussed this. To each their own, I guess.

Chickens see light different than you do, they come off the roost before what we call daylight and at dusk, while most roost early, some will come off the roost to feed before going back to the roost. Keeping feed in front of the hens 24/7 makes sure they don't come off the roost to find no food available and it makes sure that all birds have a full crop before dark. In the cold weather this is critical, if their guts aren't working they will be cold.

Picking up feeders before dark and putting the feeders back before day light is a luxury that few have the time to do and it doesn't stop rodents from stealing feed, it just means the rats eat during the day.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Chickens see light different than you do, they come off the roost before what we call daylight and at dusk, while most roost early, some will come off the roost to feed before going back to the roost. Keeping feed in front of the hens 24/7 makes sure they don't come off the roost to find no food available and it makes sure that all birds have a full crop before dark. In the cold weather this is critical, if their guts aren't working they will be cold.

Picking up feeders before dark

Thank you. We pick up their feeders well AFTER dark, not at dusk.

And there is no water in the coop during the night. We give them water and food at daylight. The birds first tank up on water, as they cannot eat until they are hydrated. They drink, walk around a bit, and drink again. Only when they are well hydrated do they start to eat. If there was food in the coop and no water, they would not eat it. You do what works for you, we will do what seems best for us. Again, thank you for your comments.

and putting the feeders back before day light is a luxury that few have the time to do and it doesn't stop rodents from stealing feed, it just means the rats eat during the day.

ETA we have no rats.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Why would you not calculate what the rooster eats? If you don't, the hens could get short-changed. Include enough for the rooster(s) as well, they have to eat.

Because roosters eat so little compared to the hen. This formula for estimating feed of a quarter pound of feed per hen and ignoring roosters unless you have a bunch of them, most people do not, has worked for over a decade. Every time someone brings up the topic and others give their numbers it has held up. Not for ducks or geese, but for chickens.

Rules of thumbs are like stereotypes, they exist for a reason.