hungry chickens

[aunt betty]

hi,
im new to chickens and Im worried that my chickens are going hungry. the feeders are full, they eat the best bits and leave the rest. Will chickens eat the rest when hungry or do I though it away and fill up with fresh.

 

[familyfarm1]

They most likely will eat if they are hungry. But you could always check there crop so see if there full.

 

[aart]

hi,
im new to chickens and Im worried that my chickens are going hungry. the feeders are full, they eat the best bits and leave the rest. Will chickens eat the rest when hungry or do I though it away and fill up with fresh.

I would say no.

But not sure what you are feeding them, sounds like a grain mix?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

When you get down to the fines, they will usually ignore them and could be underfed.

Feed, whether pellets, crumbles or whatever is made up of a few grains/legumes run through a hammermill and the rest is mostly powdered nutrients mixed with a binder. But those goodies get separated. For that reason, I usually ferment feed or at least wet it to keep those fines bound up with the larger ingredients.

 

[aart]

I put the fines from the crumble in a smaller dish hanging off the wall, they clean them up pretty good.

 

[aunt betty]

Hi,
thank you for your reply. I feed my girls on Alfa mix chicken which is a complete chicken food, suppose to be one of the best in the UK, they seem to pick out the best and leave the rest, I have left them 1 day without topping up but they still left it.

from a worried sue.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I worry too.

 

[RonP]

If hungry enough, they won't ignore anything.

 

[aart]

Hi,
thank you for your reply. I feed my girls on Alfa mix chicken which is a complete chicken food, suppose to be one of the best in the UK, they seem to pick out the best and leave the rest, I have left them 1 day without topping up but they still left it.

from a worried sue.

Is this a crumble...a pellet.....cracked grains?

What's the 'topping' you mention?

 

[aunt betty]

Hi,

Its a mixed grain., a complete food. I'm going to go and buy laying pellets food tomorrow and try that.. Which it's just pellets . The eggs are quite small, I know they only lay small eggs but I think it's because they are still young and not eating very much.

Regards
Sue