Finicky Hen

[Dancingwnature]

My 1 yr old Barred Rock Hen won't eat her layer food since I bought some mealworms for her. I mixed it into her food and she picks out the mealworms and leaves the food.
She does take in oyster shell and insoluble grit. She eats bugs and some good for chickens greens & blackberries when she's outside with me. She has plenty of water.
Should I just be grateful and not worry about the layer pellets?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Cut out the meal worms, or feed them sparingly towards the end of the day. She will eat the feed first that way. Feed consumption can go down in warmer months, especially if they have access to natural foods.

 

[Dancingwnature]

Cut out the meal worms, or feed them sparingly towards the end of the day. She will eat the feed first that way. Feed consumption can go down in warmer months, especially if they have access to natural foods.

I tried going to no Mealworms and she just ignored her feed pellets.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I agree. The meal worms are a treat....treats should not be mixed into the feed.

Think of it this way......
A hen wandering around free ranging may find several bugs an hour or no bugs in an hour. Stumbling on a pile of bugs triggers a gorge mode. Finding them in the feed....it is like finding a pile of tasty bugs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I tried going to no Mealworms and she just ignored her feed pellets.

Have you made sure they smell fine? Sometimes you get a bad bag, or they go bad in the heat. She will eat eventually if they are okay.

 

[Dancingwnature]

Have you made sure they smell fine? Sometimes you get a bad bag, or they go bad in the heat. She will eat eventually if they are okay.

I'm a newbie, so forgive this dumb question: how will I know if the feed is off?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm a newbie, so forgive this dumb question: how will I know if the feed is off?

Smell it. It should smell good enough to eat. It's actually a good thing to become familiar with the smell of the ration you buy so you can tell if it spoils. Also look if there's climbs or texture or color changes.

 

[21hens-incharge]

They will smell kind of sour or like stale old bread if they are spoiling.

They should smell fresh....to me the brand I use smells kind of like bran cereal.

 

[Dancingwnature]

They will smell kind of sour or like stale old bread if they are spoiling.

They should smell fresh....to me the brand I use smells kind of like bran cereal.

Thank you so much!!!