Help. My chickens won't eat their food pellets!!

[NewChick7]

My chickens are only 4 months old and have always been fed scraps and crumbles. However we have been going through alot if crumbles. The chickens send more crumbles over the edge of their feeder than they get in their mouth. I heard pellets were less of a waste. But now they have only pecked at the pellets but refuse to eat them! They are acting like they are starving. You would think they would eat te pellets if they were hungry enough?? Right??

 

[Judy]

They will. You can crumble up some of them to get them started, or just wait them out. They won't starve themselves.

 

[pichuris]

They will in time. Do you have any crumbles left? I was thinking if you sprinkled some on top of the pellets they would get the idea. If not crush some of the pellets and sprinkle that on top. Also, the pellets feel different going down their throat and that's probably what puts them off. I wouldn't give in and offer them anything else till they get the hint "eat what's on your plate". HTH

 

[NewChick7]

Ooooo crushing them and putting them on top is a good idea. I may have a few crumbles left! Thanks for the idea!

 

[Fred's Hens]

A touch of water and stir in a bucket? The starch they use to "glue" the pellets together falls right apart. Chickens will balk but I've never seen one starve themselves. I also won't give more feed until they've cleaned up what they've spilt.