Hens NOT eating layer pellets

[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.

 

[Cazook]

Only give corn after they have had their layer feed. Usually I give a handful in the evening.

Chickens seem to love wet or especially fermented feed in comparison to the pellets.

 

[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

 

[DKS]

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.View attachment 2512626
I feed a Crumble feed dry in a hanging feeder.View attachment 2512628
GC

Thank you for your prompt reply. So am I risking them not eating a new crumble feed if I start offering wet pellets?

 

[GC-Raptor]

Thank you for your prompt reply. So am I risking them not eating a new crumble feed if I start offering wet pellets?

No not at all. My Hens and Pullets love their Crumble feed dry and wet.

GC

 

[gpollara]

I have been giving my hens Happy Chicken layer feed and found they are only eating the other ingredients but not the pellets. I am going to try them on layer crumble but I will also try wetting the pellets. I’m concerned about how quickly the wet pellets could get moldy. So, I will not put it in the Grandpa’s feeder but in a separate container. Any thoughts on this?

I have a grandpa's feeder too and just switched to layer pellets. They are on an eating strike. So I guess I'll go to wetting food outside of feeder and see if they catch on to eating dry pellets in the feeder. I'll wet food and leave out just for the day.

 

[Mark Whatley]

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.

What is BOSS?

 

[Brooks_]

What is BOSS?

Black oil sunflower seed

 

[dianewilliams772]

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?

 

[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.