I bought all flock and my birds will not eat

[Iluveggers]

Only the ignorant and the desperate* will try to mix their own feeds. The more you learn about a chicken's nutritional needs, the less likely you are to attempt it.

and no health chicken will willingly ignore good food for long. The Nutrena Naturewise isn't bad, and its decent nutrition for a mid price off the shelf option. Chicken's don't like change, which is usually the reason they turn up noses (intially) at new foods.

WHAT WAS THE MILL DATE????

*ok, I'm being a bit theatrical here. If you are in a remote area of the country, a developing nation, planning for the end times, or an area so urbanized that there is no local farm/feed/pet store with commercial chicken feeds, then you are "desperate". And probably still better off either paying for shipping of a commercial feed or not having chickens at all.

I was hoping @U_Stormcrow would chime in!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I was hoping @U_Stormcrow would chime in!

You could have summoned me with an @.... I have a new day job, and less time to troll the forums than I recently enjoyed.

 

[joshua k]

How long have you been trying to feed it to them for?

For about 2 days. I am going to start mixing it into their feed slowly.

 

[joshua k]

I always make feed changes gradually -- mixing in the last of the old feed with the first of the new in the feeders so that the birds get used to it gradually.

That sounds like something good to do.

 

[Aroostertoomany]

how

how do you mix your own

i buy the huge bag of black sunflower seeds, some kind of layer feed i usually get crumble, some oyster shell, some blend of all flock seeds and the fruit and berries blend of seeds as well as some cleaned oats and of course the animal corn. layer it all in a metal trash can mix it as best you can and you will have enough food for some time, i recently added some protein to their diet so some feathers would grow back as well.
they love it. they also get their mealworms for treats and kale sometimes too. my ducks love that stuff.

 

[Aunt Angus]

i buy the huge bag of black sunflower seeds, some kind of layer feed i usually get crumble, some oyster shell, some blend of all flock seeds and the fruit and berries blend of seeds as well as some cleaned oats and of course the animal corn. layer it all in a metal trash can mix it as best you can and you will have enough food for some time, i recently added some protein to their diet so some feathers would grow back as well.
they love it. they also get their mealworms for treats and kale sometimes too. my ducks love that stuff.

That would defeat the purpose of feeding all flock in my case because I have chickens - including a rooster. That's too much calcium for my rooster. And I'd worry they'd only eat the treats. I'm glad it works for you, though.

 

[cluckcluckhens]

We get Purina flock raiser in crumbs. I have oyster shells on the side Ones that need this will eat them. Oyster shells I have a funnel. I fill the funnel twice a day for the chickens. I used to just throw them to the birds but, now I go into the run and hand out seeds to all of them. I make sure every one gets some. Chickens have a hay day especially if there is a yellow corn mixed in with the seeds. They run to see who gets the corn first. If one of them did not get a yellow corn in a while I will hand that out instead of throwing them to the birds. Our female welsummer hardly gets any so when she is by me I drop right at her feet. The Australorp girls likes to take the seeds so none of the others get any. My hubby gives them left over food.

 

[3KillerBs]

i buy the huge bag of black sunflower seeds, some kind of layer feed i usually get crumble, some oyster shell, some blend of all flock seeds and the fruit and berries blend of seeds as well as some cleaned oats and of course the animal corn.

I'm sorry, but that doesn't come across as particularly sound from a nutritional standpoint.

You take a minimal-protein feed, the layer, dilute it with a lot of extra starch, add a lot of fat from the sunflower seeds, and serve it in a form that enables birds to pick out the treats without eating the more nutritionally balanced feed.

 

[Brooks_]

I have a new day job

I'm sorry or happy, as the case may be.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm sorry or happy, as the case may be.

a bit of both. Sorry I need a day job, but its work that I enjoy.