hens spoiled on crumbles

[chickenwoods]

My hens got in to some of my chick starter,and now i cant get them to eat layer pellets anymore...i really dont want to start having to give them crumbles cus they cost so much more.,and thing i can do??

They just over look the pellets on the ground in search for crumbles...im getting mad at them.

 

[allen wranch]

The only way you will get them to eat the pellets again is to separate the chicks and their feed from the hens.

 

[LoneCowboy]

I just put my pullets on layer pellets and they make a HUGE mess with them. I thought they were supposed to be better than the crumbles for that!! I didn't give them their feeder today, because I want them to clean up their mess. un

 

[allen wranch]

They may be making a mess because they are throwing out the pellets to find the crumbles.

I switched to a new brand of feed and didn't realize it was crumbles. I have fed pellets for years. The birds went crazy over the crumbles. I mixed the feed 50/50 and the birds pick out the crumbles and toss the pellets on the ground.

 

[rosyposyosy]

I read in a book that farmers would purposely give hens crumbles, since it occupied them for hours at a time, while pellets can fill them up in about a half hour.

 

[picklespickles]

i can see that. part of their whole chicken thing is digging and scratching for stuff. people save me their scrap food for the animals. today i threw out the rest of a box of raisin bran. to me, it was the tiny little peices at teh end that they just dug and picked and dug and picked. they like the big pieces too, like a prize, but i think they genetically like to scratch around looking for tiny things. mine like the pellets better soaked in water first, but i imagine that defeats the whole purpose of pellets!

 

[PurpleChicken]

I do blends of Nutrina and Blue seal Layer Mash, Layer Crumbles, & Layer Pellets.
They have a DEFINATE preference for Nutrena crumbles over the other feeds but
will eat whatever feed I give them.

Your birds will eat anything if they are hungry. I'd take out all their food for 12 to 14 hours
and then give them only pellets. They will eat them. It's also good to clean out their
crops by putting them on a short term fast. I always leave grit, sand, oyster shell,
and plenty of fresh water for them, especially when they are fasting.

Good luck...

 

[LoneCowboy]

Well, the feed I give them comes in both, so maybe I'll just stick with the crumbles next time

 

[chickenwoods]

Alrighty.

I will feed them in morning a certain amount,then put their feeder away,and when i get home from work see if they will eat the pellets.

oh and about the cleaning the crop thing...
You mean that if you dont feed them for 10 hrs or so,that they will digest all that is in the crop,instead of them eating and adding more food into the crop?? explain more if you will

They free range for grit,and they have access to OS all the time.(rarley see them pick at it any more though)


oh and could i soak the pellets in water??as long as i only soak enoguh for them to eat in one day??
im thinking that might help them eat it...It is just like 3.00$ a bag more for crumbles here.That can add up when im only getting 2.00$ a dozen for eggs...

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
The short answer is yes.

They won't digest everything in their crops in a 10 hour period.
I've "not fed" birds overnight for processing the next day. Their crops still have
a lot of stuff in them the next day they just aren't as large.

Usually, when I want them to purge their crops, I will take away the food at night
and return it to them late morning.

A few of my chickens had bloody poop a few months ago. There was no sign
og cocci or worms. I hadn't been consistently giving them grit either because they
free ranged a few hours every night. I did the "not eat for 14 hour thing" and
started giving grit & oyster shell. The bloody poop went away immediately.

The other night they ate a bunch of pasta at 8PM. Their crops were like golf balls.
I've read a lot of posts here about impacted crops and the like. I removed their
feed before bed and gave it back around 10AM the following morning.

I'm not sure if it helps or not. I feel it does. Either way I can't see not eating
for a few hours hurting them. It also motivate them to turn over all the pine
shavings in search of crumbles. With no food they tend to pick more at the grit,
shell, and sand too.