feeding

[independentone2001]

My girls, Blanche and Rose, seem to be healthy and happy, but I noticed that they are not eating much of their food. I give them sunflower seeds, meal worms and lately watermelon as a treat 2x a day. Should I be concerned? I'm new at this so any input is welcome

 

[sealer39]

If your concerned that they aren’t eating their crumbles or pellets, cut back on all the treats. It sounds like they are getting to many treats instead of chicken food.

 

[RoosterML]

What @sealer39 said. I would not eat regular food either if I had treats all the time also. Chickens are no different.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Try making a wet mash with their feed.
I make a very wet mash during the hot days of summer, with very cold water. The hens love it and think it's a treat. . I use a 1/4 cup of dry feed per 2 chickens.
I fed to them early afternoon. GC

 

[independentone2001]

If your concerned that they aren’t eating their crumbles or pellets, cut back on all the treats. It sounds like they are getting to many treats instead of chicken food.

Try making a wet mash with their feed.
I make a very wet mash during the hot days of summer, with very cold water. The hens love it and think it's a treat.View attachment 1888094. I use a 1/4 cup of dry feed per 2 chickens.
I fed to them early afternoon. GC[/QUOTE

Thank you so much for your helpful suggestion.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Good advice so far.
It is sooo easy to overfeed treats with only 2 chickens.
I would eliminate all the treats for a while. They will then eat their feed.
Their perceived health won't last forever if they don't eat a complete feed as the bulk of the diet.
I assume your birds don't free range.
My birds free range all year and at this time of year they only eat about 1/3 of what they do in the dead of winter because of all the forage available. There are a lot of crickets and forbs right now.

 

[starri33]

My girls, Blanche and Rose, seem to be healthy and happy, but I noticed that they are not eating much of their food. I give them sunflower seeds, meal worms and lately watermelon as a treat 2x a day. Should I be concerned? I'm new at this so any input is welcome

What are you feeding them? mine have layer pellets, all flock as their main feed and a tiny bit of scratch and some water melon as their treats.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

My poor girls are getting no treats from me right now, as they free range from about 4:00 in the afternoon until dusk, when they put themselves in their coop, and bugs are so plentiful even one of my cats brings them in to play with. The chickens follow DH when he mows to catch the bugs he stirs up; he's like the Pied Piper, lol. Plenty of yummy treats out there for them!

 

[independentone2001]

Thank you everyone. I'm learning as I go along. I feed them layers pellets. They free range on once to twice a week .