How to transition 10 month old chickens from crumbles to layer pellets?

[DebDaveSC]

I was just given three 10 month old hens and had purchased organic (no corn or soy) pellets to feed them (along with oyster shells and grit). I then found out that they had been fed mostly crumbles (they tried to transition to pellets, but they didn't take it) - and probably too much scratch. Now they will not eat the pellets. I also give them greens in the afternoon and some mealworms which they gobble up. We are building a portable run/"tractor" so they can be in different parts of the yard - but haven't completed that yet. How do I transition them to the pellets? It is not like they were eating them before and then stopped...

 

[turkey girl 0964]

You should slowly add in the pellets into the crumble they should not even notice that they are now eating pellets not crumble. That is what I do if I start to buy new feed or scratch.

 

[mamajos]

I make a dish of pellets and water, so it becomes a mush. My girls love it.

 

[50-45-1]

Chickens prefer scratch grains to anything else (it's like yummy desert)
My chickens however will reject pellets, and eat the smaller portions first. Then act like they are starving when only the larger pellets are left. Putting me on a guilt trip!
I stick to crumble for my flock. Scratch is given when I sit with them and scatter it. My way of bringing them closer and to being less afraid of me. It's great to get them to eat out of my hand.

 

[DebDaveSC]

I make a dish of pellets and water, so it becomes a mush. My girls love it.

I just did that and they ate it up . Do you do this every day? Mornings only?

 

[DebDaveSC]

You should slowly add in the pellets into the crumble they should not even notice that they are now eating pellets not crumble. That is what I do if I start to buy new feed or scratch.

Thank you

 

[Vacman]

I must have been lucky. I just transitioned them from crumbles to pellets and they just switched.

 

[neo71665]

I would just mix it. They will eat when they get hungry even if it's not what they want.

 

[mamajos]

I started giving my girls the pellet “mush” in winter. They like it so much, I’ve kept doing it. They have access to the dry pellets in a couple feeders all the time-but I bring the bowl of pellet mush out once a day, mid morning. They start nibbling right away. Sometimes most of it is there till late afternoon, but it’s always gone before they go to roost.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I was just given three 10 month old hens and had purchased organic (no corn or soy) pellets to feed them (along with oyster shells and grit). I then found out that they had been fed mostly crumbles (they tried to transition to pellets, but they didn't take it) - and probably too much scratch. Now they will not eat the pellets. I also give them greens in the afternoon and some mealworms which they gobble up.

Cut out the greens and mealworms temporarily.

If you give Scratch Grains as a treat, mix in pellets 50/50 and scatter on dry ground for a few days. When I did that with my first Flock, they gobbled up the pellets with the scratch.

I also mixed Layer pellets into their Starter Grower crumble feed 50/50 till the Starter Grower was gone. GC

ETA; don't add the Scratch and Pellet mix to a feeder.