My hens won't eat their daily food

[Firsthens5]

My hens & rooster stopped eating their start n grow. So I switched them to the Purina Layena pellets and they won't eat that either! But if I throw a handful of our birdseed in they go crazy!! How do I get them to eat their food??

 

[junebuggena]

Stop giving them treats. A healthy bird will not starve itself. Also, don't feed laying pellets to birds that aren't laying.

 

[SilkieNation]

Or cut down the treats. I've had the same problem, but I find if I treat them less, they eat their food simply because they get hungry.

 

[junebuggena]

They're like little kids. They want dessert instead of dinner. The problem is, bird seed does not meet a chicken's nutritional needs. They need their feed to stay happy and healthy. It's like giving a kid Skittles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sure they gobble it up and enjoy it, but it's not what they need to be healthy.

 

[SilkieNation]

So true.