My chickens suddenly aren't eating their pellets or crumbles

[Pressman]

They are the chick feeders I started with. They don't seem to have trouble eating out of them but perhaps I should try something different.
I put warm water on their crumbles this morning and they ate a whole bowl full, out of my hands. I'm headed to Missoula tomorrow so will
get some different feed and feeders just to see if that makes a difference. Supposed to be five below tonight and every time I try to turn
the heat lamp on they fight like cats and dogs!

 

[ChickenInTheFog]

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[Pressman]

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Your post didn't come through completely. All I got was wyandottes. Can you please resend? I am really at my wit's end to get my chickens to eat again. I was gone all day today and when I came home (still hanging around zero here) they hadn't eaten a thing as far as I could tell.

 

[aart]

Quote: Did you put the feed in a different container other than the chick feeder?

 

[Pressman]

Did you put the feed in a different container other than the chick feeder?

Yes, no luck. I bought a completely different style feeder, bought a different brand of feed, I've tried mixing cottage cheese with their crumbles, yogurt mixed with it, I cooked a pumpkin last night for them; all of it they just pick at. Their crops are not full when they go to roost and we are hitting 10 below at night. They will eat a little scratch and the one thing they would eat all I give them is meal worms. I have just used those as treats though. I don't know what to do next?

 

[pdirt]

Huh, I'm sorry I don't have any answers for you. It is strange that all your birds are not eating. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will speak up for you.

Are they acting strange in any other way? Are they laying eggs at all?

You mentioned once that they ate a bowlful of wet feed from your hand, are they no longer doing that?

 

[aart]

I'd leave them nothing but one type of higher protein crumble feed, when they get hungry enough they will eat it.
All the changes might be making the problem worse, chickens don't like change much.

Do they have plenty of liquid water?
I've read that if they don't have water they won't eat....might be why they gobbled up the wetted feed.