Not eating pellets

[whatdacluck]

Quote:
DUDE! According to Mr. Whatdacluck's info, he's from Contae Loch Garman (County Wexford), so he's not a dude, he's a BUACHAILL!

My chooks also kick all the pellets out of their feed trough; it's just the nature of these creatures, who are "wired" to scratch the earth for seeds, bugs and other goodies. When they see a tub filled with the same stuff, it may as well just be dirt or compost to them, as it's all uniform and in nature the food in the earth is never just a mass of the same thing. They look for the unusual -- the item that sticks out and looks different from the substrated. That may be why they keep scratching and kicking out the pellets.

I used to mix scratch grain with the pellets, and it just made it worse as the flock would pick and kick through the pellets to grab the choice morsels. Now I just toss a little scratch in the run early in the day, and when they've eaten it they have to go back to the pellet trough.

Nice to know someone in the States knows a bit of Irish, well done I like that

As I said in the first post... all they wanted was the leftovers and wouldn't eat the pellets, so I cut out the leftovers and as they say "hunger is good sauce" they started eating the pelletts.
I must admit I got a bit soft the other day when 4 out of 6 laid and I gave them some milk and bread mashed as a treat. I recon maybe twice a week is enough for it though.

Pat

 

[GardenerGal]

Where I live in New England, there is a large Irish population (both Irish-American and Irish-born) especially in South Boston. Everyone knows a little Irish!

 

[Wendy'sChicksRock]

I feed mine a 18% layer mash. they didnt like the pellets...They Love the mash

 

[Mahonri]

I've wondered what would happen if you put a little red dye on the pellets... you know to make them stand out.

Like my dad used to say, "They'll eat the pellets before they eat their toes."

 

[whatdacluck]

Thanks for your replies once again peeps.

Lovely to know the Irish are around, sure isn't Boston where the Kennedys (as in JFK) settled first !

Anyway back to the hens
I'm not so worried about then now as I know they will eat when they're hungry enough. They're doing fine and I had 5 out of 6 laid yesterday so I must be doing something right.

I do find that they're always looking for food though, I could only have given them treats and they're looking for more as soon as they see me. I suppose they're all the same.

Pat