Hens don't like layer feed.

[dani813]

Lately, my three older hens have really taken a dislike to their layer feed. Is this normal? The feed isn't bad or anything like that, they just seem to not like it. Any suggestions?

 

[Opa]

When they are hungry, they will eat.

 

[gumpsgirl]

They really will eat when they are hungry. I wouldn't worry to much. Animals don't make a habit of starving themselves.

 

[Poohbear]

Try a change of feed. Mix whole corn, lay pellets, whole oats and henscratch together and offer it to them. Always check your feed to see if it has gotten damp or moldy. If they've been eating the layer pellets good in the past, I would suspect bad feed first. You could take the feed away for a day too. See if they eat better the second day.

 

[Omran]

Put on the feed some worm water they will eat it thinking it is a good treat for them, that what I always have done.

Omran.

 

[Jenski]

I agree with Poohbear ~ I would check the feed and make sure nothing is wrong. I never heard of a chicken suddenly not eating good feed, but there's always a first.

 

[gritsar]

When I notice a sudden drop in the amount of feed my chickens are consuming, I cut back on the treats. Works every time.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:

 

[dlhunicorn]

I would first try buying a new sack of feed and see if they eat THAT... if they do then those hens are sensing something is wrong with the old sack... seems wasteful but take no chances and pitch it (low level mycotoxin in feed can cause months of subclinical health problems in your flock).
I regularly do "new" things with their feed ... simply changing feeders or setting out the feed in an additional feeder (they think it is something new) often works. Adding just enough cooked (human) oatmeal to the feed to just make it clump together often works to get them eating again also.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi there!--I've always had this problm with my hens disliking their layers pellets. I've kept chickens for about 6/7 years now and all the different hens I've had are the same; the roos are not, they will happily eat them. Over the years as I've watched them free-ranging I've noticed that the boys hardly eat anything except what I put out whereas the girls are always foraging. The cock will find food for his ladies but then move away to the pellets in the feeder. I don't worry about it now--after all the pellets are always availiable if the girls want or need it. They are very healthy and have a good sheen on their feathers and once they start laying they do really well so they must be getting enough. I do think though that we often do give them too many treats and they come to expect them!! Over here in the UK it is SO COLD at the moment (-10%) which is very rare for here. I think my girls won't start to lay until it warms up a bit and the boys won't even poke their beaks out of their coop!!