Okay so, I am new to chickens and if I am over thinking and over worrying, please tell me.
I have four hens (BBS Orpingtons and an EE) all between 12 and 17 wks. I used a PVC feeder for them using H&H feed from the time I got them at 8wks and the PVC feeder wasted a ton and basically fed the wild birds more than my hens.
I'm trying to wean the chicks off the H&H because while it is fabulous, it also requires me to drive 2 hrs to buy it. I want them on Texas Natural layer crumble eventually. Bought the grower pellets by mistake, crushed them up and wetted them to make a mash, the birds still won't hardly touch it.
Anyway, I bought a grandpa's treadle feeder to save on feed costs going to the squirrels and wild birds as well. I have it all propped open so they can start training and of course they won't go near it right now.
People keep saying "if they are hungry enough, they'll eat the new food. They won't let themselves starve." While I subscribe to that statement, here's the thing. My girls have a huge backyard to freerange in all day everyday. My coop is small and used only for roost. The backyard is FULL of st. Augustine grass, weed grasses, bugs, and such.
So since my girls are not in a bare earth run, they are not forced to be hungry or eat the new food. They'll just go fill up on grass and such and ignore the feed.
What should I do? Keep setting out the feed in the treadle feeder while they freerange and hope they'll eventually eat from it enough to train to use the treadle step?
I know fermenting is awesome and if I hadn't just slapped down $200 for this treadle feeder I'd do that. (I also want to be able to go an a vacation at some point too)
Ideas? Thoughts? Am I over thinking this? My girls are not underweight or anything but I don't want to screw up laying or have soft eggs or whatnot because they aren't getting the nutrient from the feed ration they need.
I have four hens (BBS Orpingtons and an EE) all between 12 and 17 wks. I used a PVC feeder for them using H&H feed from the time I got them at 8wks and the PVC feeder wasted a ton and basically fed the wild birds more than my hens.
I'm trying to wean the chicks off the H&H because while it is fabulous, it also requires me to drive 2 hrs to buy it. I want them on Texas Natural layer crumble eventually. Bought the grower pellets by mistake, crushed them up and wetted them to make a mash, the birds still won't hardly touch it.
Anyway, I bought a grandpa's treadle feeder to save on feed costs going to the squirrels and wild birds as well. I have it all propped open so they can start training and of course they won't go near it right now.
People keep saying "if they are hungry enough, they'll eat the new food. They won't let themselves starve." While I subscribe to that statement, here's the thing. My girls have a huge backyard to freerange in all day everyday. My coop is small and used only for roost. The backyard is FULL of st. Augustine grass, weed grasses, bugs, and such.
So since my girls are not in a bare earth run, they are not forced to be hungry or eat the new food. They'll just go fill up on grass and such and ignore the feed.
What should I do? Keep setting out the feed in the treadle feeder while they freerange and hope they'll eventually eat from it enough to train to use the treadle step?
I know fermenting is awesome and if I hadn't just slapped down $200 for this treadle feeder I'd do that. (I also want to be able to go an a vacation at some point too)
Ideas? Thoughts? Am I over thinking this? My girls are not underweight or anything but I don't want to screw up laying or have soft eggs or whatnot because they aren't getting the nutrient from the feed ration they need.