Giving 4 laying hens pellets in chicken tractor, barely eating pellets

[IslandChickens12356]

Context: I recently bought 4 laying Rhode Island Reds, along with oyster shells, grit, and a 50 lb bag of layer pellets. Every morning I move them to a chicken tractor (they're in there for around 12 hours everyday, gets moved 2-3 times since I am home to do it).

They scratch the grass and eat bugs/grass, oyster shells and grit as needed, and do eat the pellets, but I put out 1/3 of a pound per bird (20 ounces total), and I'd estimate that they've only eaten around half of that since yesterday. The person I bought them from had them on a crumble/mash before, but I don't think that they mind since they do eat, although slowly. Could they be getting the majority of their nutritional needs from the grass?

Thanks for reading/your input

 

[Egg Snatcher]

You might want to give the the layer crumbles to see if they eat that better.

 

[Crazychickenlady49]

You might want to give the the layer crumbles to see if they eat that better.

We have to give crumbles too they wasted the pellets.

 

[RojoMarz]

Do you feed them before moving to the tractor?

 

[Aapomp831]

Leave the pellets out. They will not starve to death; eventually they will eat them. They may be getting plenty of protein and vitamins from bugs / grass, but they still need the other food. Don’t worry and don’t pamper them.... they will eventually start eating the food regularly if it’s their only option.

 

[IslandChickens12356]

Do you feed them before moving to the tractor?

I don't, I let them out of the coop and move them to the tractor

 

[RojoMarz]

I don't, I let them out of the coop and move them to the tractor

Maybe let them eat breakfast in the coop/run, then move them to the tractor? That is what I did, as our climate doesn't allow for free ranging to sustain adequate nutrition.

 

[IslandChickens12356]

Leave the pellets out. They will not starve to death; eventually they will eat them. They may be getting plenty of protein and vitamins from bugs / grass, but they still need the other food. Don’t worry and don’t pamper them.... they will eventually start eating the food regularly if it’s their only option.

True about them eventually eating what they're given.
Also, I'm not trying to pamper them, I don't want them wasting the food/my money. I'm going to ask around and try and get a pound of crumble/mash from friends and see if they respond better to that.
I'm inclined to stay with pellets regardless of what they think; I've read that the pellets hold better in storage and are better for the chickens digestion (crumble, like all powdered food, spikes blood sugar faster/doesn't provide as much satiation).

 

[IslandChickens12356]

Maybe let them eat breakfast in the coop/run, then move them to the tractor? That is what I did, as our climate doesn't allow for free ranging to sustain adequate nutrition.

I have the run filled with mulch, I have no idea what they're finding when they scratch in it but they still ignore the food.

 

[HappyDuckie]

How long ago did you get them? Most chickens take a few days- a few weeks to acclimate in a new environment, and may not want to eat as much at first. Best wishes to you and the girls