Hey all!

[Pyrfect]

I am not new to the chicken world at all, but have been without for about 4 years. I’ve just retired and decided this is the perfect time to start a new flock. I’ve acquired a dozen new Legbar pullets, they are 3 months old now. Are they old enough for me to put them on pellets now? They are wasting their crumbles, and I just can’t make them consume the food they have pooped all over! It is such waste dumping these crumbles in the compost pile!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
You can switch over the shape of feed anytime you want. They will probably balk when you first give it to them as it will take them time to get used to its new form. But if they were billing out the crumble they'll probably bill out the pellets just as easily.
What style feeder are you using?

 

[Debbie292d]

Hiya, and welcome to BYC!

I'd think, like @DobieLover said, try the pellets and they might balk, but would eventually eat them.

If you give treats, you might want to cut that down or stop entirely at least during the changeover, so they are forced to eat the feed if they want to eat at all.

We're glad you're here!

 

[Pyrfect]

It’s a hanging feeder. I wonder if it would be better to set it on the floor or hang it higher? I just hate the waste! And I’m getting it from Grubblies, so it’s more expensive than what I could get at Tractor Supply or Southern States, but healthier for the egg output they will have.

 

[DobieLover]

I keep my trough feeders a little higher than chest height. They have to reach over the top edge of the trough to eat making it difficult for them to bill anything out. I have very little waste with the trough feeders and I only feed crumble.

 

[Debbie292d]

I keep my trough feeders a little higher than chest height. They have to reach over the top edge of the trough to eat making it difficult for them to bill anything out. I have very little waste with the trough feeders and I only feed crumble.

This is what we do too.

In a pen with the feeder on the ground out in the covered run, they scratch it out, so then I remove it and make them clean it up, and they do. The others are up about chest height too so they can't. It's only Flock Maker crumbles here for everyone.

 

[janiedoe]

I keep plastic boot trays under my feeders for easier clean up. They eat off the trays too.

 

[GodLovesU]

 

[BoundlessLove]

Welcome to BYC!
Glad you joined!!
I also keep trays under my feeders.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. This is a great place to explore and hang out. We built PVC feeders no waist private message me I can tell you how.