I new to being a chicken owner. I bought a home in northern Utah that came with five 2 year old RIR chickens. They all lay eggs and have been eating laying feed and scratch feed. So I continued to feed them that way. I let them free range when I am home, they love that. I have tried to get them scraps but they don't seem interested at all and they will sit there for days without being touched. So I just end up throwing them away. I don't think the previous owners would take them scraps. But recently I got two 9 month old chickens, one a Easter Egger and a Silver Laced Wyandotte. They were raised on scraps and haven't ever eaten laying feed. My RIR got nuts over there feed but I don't want my new chickens eating something they aren't suppose to. I would love any suggestion you can give me. I know that my 9 months have laid a few eggs but I haven't seen any from them since I got them. Suggestions Please! Thanks
They should all be on layer feed I would not give any treats or scraps until they are all eating the layer feed regularly, they won't starve themselves and will eat the feed if not given a choice.
It is always best to introduce new foods slowly, not only to give their GI tract time to adjust, but to allow them to see the new food actually as food. However since, as you say, you don't want your present flock to suffer either, you can either mix in some layer feed with the scraps and scratch, reducing the amount of scraps and scratch over the next 2 weeks, OR, you can just let the new ones go "cold turkey" and when they get hungry enough, seeing the other birds eat the layer feed, they should start eating it as well. A chicken will eat just about anything and I don't think it will take long for the new ones to eat the layer feed. Try dampening the layer feed for a week or two as well, as chickens will readily eat damp feed easier than dry feed. Good luck!
I agree with the above posts. Layers feeds will contain balanced nutrients. Scratch feed is fine in the afternoons too. You will find they will come back into lay over a week or so once they are settled and no longer stressed from their move and fitting into a new flock. Once they are eating their layers and are settled a few treats are fine. Good luck
