Hens NOT eating layer pellets

[Toddgordon]

So my 4 hens will not eat the layer pellets I bought or the oyster shell. They free range all day and LOVE the scratch mix I put down in the run for when they are inside. They follow me to the run after I have let them out and wait until I pit the scratch down. I have mixed the pellets and oyster shell with the scratch but they pick around it. Is this an issue? Should I just buy and feed them scratch?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Scratch is chicken candy and not a complete feed, if they only want to eat scratch I would not give them any scratch at all for a while so they'd be forced to eat their feed.

Pellets in general aren't loved by chickens so you may want to try a crumble version or a mash, or as noted above wet them/ferment them and see if that makes them more palatable.

 

[rebrascora]

Stop the scratch! It should be a very limited treat if used at all, not their main source of food.... it does not contain all the nutrients they need to grow, be healthy and lay eggs. It can make them fat/obese which then leads to reproductive and digestive tract problems...... I have done necropsies on such birds and it is not a pretty sight! We all know they love it but you have to be disciplined about giving them treats. They will go on strike for a day or two when you stop giving them scratch but eventually they will eat the layer. You need to be tough with them though, just like children.
I've never had a problem with mine eating pellets, but they do get excited about a pan of fermented fed made with layer pellets. It is easy to make. If you really want to treat them, give them a few meal worms instead of scratch, or berries. I give mine a few bunches of elderberries at this time of year.

 

[lazy gardener]

I only use scratch to herd the chickens back into their run. If they are free ranging, and a hawk starts circling or calling from the woods directly behind their coop/run... or a strange dog shows up, I grab the scratch can and use it to herd them all back into their run. It may take a bit of extra effort to gather the stragglers, but that is about the ONLY time my birds get scratch. They may go a week or two from one scratch treat to an other. A bag of scratch lasts for MONTHS with my flock.

 

[Chickassan]

Wet the pellets a little bit, no joke it works. And don't just feed them scratch if anything go to flock raiser crumbles. But just moisten those pellets and you should see a world of difference.

 

[Kathy Golla]

My chicks were raised on crumbles and I went to pellets for layer feed. They totally went on strike.
I did the wetting trick, but only lightly for about two weeks.
They caught on after about a month. They all eat pellets now.

 

[azygous]

I learned years ago that layer feed simply doesn't have a very exciting taste, and chickens really do notice.

This was one of the reasons I did away all together with layer feed. Unless you run a commercial egg barn, layer really isn't necessary.

I switched to Purina flock Raiser and provided oyster shell free choice, and soon after, began fermenting the feed. I throw in some BOSS and the chickens can't get more excited about their feed.

This feeding practice also serves my mixed flock well. I have roosters, chicks, and "retired" layers that all should not have layer feed, so the all flock feed makes life simpler - no juggling different feeds for different needs.

 

[theoldchick]

You'll have to stop feeding the scratch feed. Chickens are like kids in that they will eat candy all day if allowed to.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I have been giving my hens Happy Chicken layer feed and found they are only eating the other ingredients but not the pellets.

A feed like that is best fed fermented or wet.
The pellets contain the protein, vitamins and minerals.
You don't want to put wet feed into your Grandpa feeder. I use a rubber bowl when I give my chickens wet feed as a treat.

I feed a Crumble feed dry in a hanging feeder.

GC

 

[rlhagan56]

Maybe I'm a barbarian but I won't give them any treats if they won't eat their layer pellets. Or if they are naughty and throw it all out on the ground I take the feeder away until they clean it up, and it works. They get garden greens, raisins sparingly, or in summer melons, winter some scratch before dark. I never tried to wet it but I think I will try that for a treat, thanks for the suggestion! I also found none of my many layers would touch the oyster shell until I got some flaked on Amazon. They love that kind and eat it up, especially my two little leghorns that lay ginormous eggs. I don't know how those little butts can lay jumbo eggs but they do. They are also the comedians in our flock.