Ladies not happy about pellets....

[paddock36]

I tried crumbles before too for the same reason but my hens did not like them either and egg production decreased too. So I also switched back. I use the hanging feeder and don't seem to have as much waste with that type.

 

[kla37]

I have a hanging feeder as well. It's filled up with pellets! I think they are beaking it out to see if there are any crumbles left somewhere.... Silly chickens. My kids didn't out stubborn me when it comes to food, but my chickens might.

 

[sunnyvera]

I got my chickens at about 15 weeks old from a man who NEVER fed them - they totally free-ranged. In fact, he said he could have hundreds of birds, since they cost nothing to feed. Anyway, they were thin and so happy to eat anything on a regular basis, no matter what form. I have switched from pellets to crumbles and back again. Pellets are easier on me and no dust at the bottom of the feeder. They do get greens and treats everyday too.

 

[TigerLilly]

Like a lot of people have already said, they WILL eventually eat it. They get spoiled easy; at least mine do...

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Sometimes it can seem that the chickens aren't eating as much pellets as they did crumbles. But that could be an illusion, if they were really wasting/spilling a lot of extra crumbles, that they are not doing now with the pellets. Does that make sense? You could be used to refilling the feeder at a certain rate, and now you don't need to refill it as often. So it's easy to think "the chickens don't like the pellets, they're not eating it!" when in fact they are, and eating enough, but just not wasting as much extra.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Absolutely. With the price of feed being so high, wasting it is simply not an option.

 

[kla37]

I appreciate all the support and advice! I did break down a little bit this evening and gave them some watermelon rinds! Maybe they are just eating it. There was an AWFUL lot of waste with the crumbles.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

My birds fussed at me when I changed them from crumbles to seeds & pellets. I got the stink eye, got crowed at, got cussed They eventually settled down into starving themselves. And then they suddenly realized that the seed/pellet blend was delicious. Now I get the stink eye if they don't get a fresh bowl of it as soon as they race down the ladder.