Healthy acting 5 month old pullets wont eat - why? ? ?

[fiberart57]

Why are they caged? Do they have an opportunity to roam around and get some exercise? Perhaps the hunger strike is a sign of stress because if I understand you, initially they ate it when you switched them a couple of weeks ago, but have now stopped.

Mary

 

[math ace]

The two are in a large cage - - 8 feet by 3 feet.

I had them in a run and coop area. However, I got 15 chicks in December. Two months ago I tried to put the chicks with the older Wyandottes and it didn't go well. The Wyandottes terriozed the young pullets. The chicks needed the bigger space, so they got the run and coop area.

So, we had to separate the Wyandottes until the other chicks got closer to their size. We are working on enlarging the current run area and then we are going to try to merge the Wyandottes back into the group.

The laying mash is Laying Crumbles. I guess I will try to switch back to the old food and see if they pick up eating.
As far as the treats go, they get a 1/2 slice of bread each once a day. Is that considered too much?

 

[angels4]

Are they able to get grit from the cage they are in?

 

[chickbird]

Quote:
let them out of the cages and allow them to free range in your yard..chicks who have been with other chickens do not like to be separated.. i find that some chickens have very sensitive personalities. if you can get them out of cages please do so.

 

[writermom]

A lot of birds (and other kinds of animals) stop eating if not weaned gradually from one kind of food to another...even if the food looks the same. I'd go back to the old food, get them eating well again, and then gradually add handfuls of the new food to the old food, cutting back on the old food a little over time.

 

[Mike & Baby Chicken]

Quote:
It was my understanding that bread isn't all that good for the chickens..... ????

Does it make em sick or sumthin??

 

[math ace]

As far as I know - as long as it isn't mildewy it won't make them sick.

It doesn't have the protien and nutrients that their reg food does, BUT we give it as a treat not as a food supplement.

We have oyster shell in their cage because they should be getting close to egg laying soon.

 

[math ace]

writermom - I will give it a try.

I had not heard of anybody complaining about this - - so, I didn't know the chickens could be fussy like that.