Hens not eating

[ehoneybee]

It has been frigid here, 20s during the day and single digits/teens at night for the last 7+ days. The hens are doing well, laying eggs and looking good; however, they seem to not be eating. I haven't had to fill their food container for 3 days now and I only leave out what they would eat in a day. I've been giving them cracked corn for energy and they are drinking a lot of water (I have to keep going out there and putting hot water on top to break the ice). Anyway, does this sound ok? I would think they'd need to eat to stay warm. Is the cracked corn not necessary or why they're not eating their pellets?

 

[SueT]

Make sure your feed isn't moldy or funky. Check the mill date on the bag, feed is perishable. If all that is fine, then I suggest no cracked corn until the end of the day after they have eaten a bunch of feed. Moistening the feed into a mash can help, but in freezing weather this may not be advisable.
It is good they are laying....

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You may want to offer the treat (cracked corn) later in the day to see if they will eat their pellets first. They may just be filling up on corn and not eating as much of the pellets.

Where are they hanging out the most - do they go outside or do they stay inside the coop because of wind/weather?

A good way to see if they really are eating - check the crops at night - their crops should be full when they go to bed.

 

[ehoneybee]

I've eased up on the corn. This morning one of them went right to the pellets. The other 2 free range so maybe that's why it seems like they're eating less.

 

[chickens really]

I do not supplement my Birds with anything in the Winter. Corn is too fattening and can cause fatty liver disease if feed too often...I give my Birds a treat once or twice a week.