My hens seem to only want dried meal worms!

[Chick-N-Fun]

Chickens need a fortified feed, not scratch for their diet. I feed my entire flock Flock Raiser with oyster shell offered for my ladies at all times. I will hang cabbages, fresh greens or broccoli sparingly in the winter months to prevent boredom. The only time I give my flock mealworms is when I am corralling them in from free ranging. Chickens will eat almost anything, but they NEED the nutrition from a reputable feed. Too many unnecessary treats compromises the health of your birds. Stick to Feed only. Your chickens will thank you!!

By the way,
Welcome to our FUN-omenal Community!

Pull up a roost and enjoy your time here!

 

[CluckerFamily]

Welcome to BYC!!

 

[Isaac 0]

Hello, and welcome to the BYC community.

 

[chickenmama929]

Welcome to BYC! Do not let them beg those treats out of you too much.

 

[416bigbore]

Hello Steve and welcome to BYC, You found an Awesome poultry Forum to be a part of with many great knowledgeable members who are more then willing to jump in and help you with any questions you may have.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Welcome!

I agree on cutting out the scratch and mealworms for a week or so and giving only chicken food. Then reintroduce both treat types as random treats throughout the day - not at mealtime.

 

[RebelEgger]

Hello from NS and welcome to BYC! You’ve joined a great and resourceful community! Enjoy your journey!!!

 

[chrissynemetz]

Welcome to BYC! Chickens are much like kids, if given the choice they'll usually prefer treats over healthy food.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Welcome to BYC! So glad you decided to join us!

You might want to start cutting out the scratch and worms until they start eating their food.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi, Steve! Welcome to the wonderful world of chickening! What's happening is your beloved birds are training YOU! All the advice you are getting is excellent. You must take back control of the situation and do what is best for their health and nutrition. Chickens are like children. They will eat only cake and ice cream, chips and soda if you allow them to. But you are the keeper of the keys to the pantry, and you can fix this. As advised, withhold all snacks and treats for at least a week. Provide only their regular standard nutrition. Then, and only then, can you start offering the smallest handful of scratch ON OCCASION, not every day, as a training device. Use it to teach them to come when called, for example. Give it only when YOU decide. Do not allow them to emotionally manipulate you into giving it to them. You're the boss! Good luck!