My chickens leave the whole wheat

[mholm]

We are newbies and scatter a couple of handfuls of scratch to our flock twice a day (along with the pellets in their feeder). But we notice the whole wheat part of the scratch is not being eaten and is building up in the run. We don't want mice eating it. (Actually our local wild quail get in and eat it occasionally when the hens are out in the yard.

Don't they like whole wheat kernels?

 

[Tracydr]

Try sprouting it.

 

[Fred's Hens]

This is a problem with scattering feed. I don't scatter feed unless I am sure it can be found and consumed quickly. Mice and other rodents and pests propagate enough without my feeding them. With the price of feed so high, it makes little sense financially either.

It is not uncommon for birds to dislike one or more the grains found in a scratch mix. Thus, it just gets wasted or worse, feeds the other critters.
I'm not a big fan of most scratch products. It is nutritional incomplete, has about half the protein of feed, and costs about 90% of the feed's price. I just don't see much upside.

 

[CheekyMare]

If you can get just one eating it then all the rest will. It's probably unfamiliar and birds don't like to try new stuff.(unless it's moving and has multiple legs)

 

[miss_thenorth]

In my experience, it is b/c you are giving them too much. If they are hungry enough, they will eat it. Try scattering less both times. I also scatter twice a day and keep layer crumbles in the feeder. If I giv ethem the correct amount, tey will eat it all, but if they have plenty to choose from, they will fill up on the best stuff first and leave the rest when full.