Older chicken stopped eating pellets

[IdyllwildAcres]

I would never change from pellets just because the birds prefer crumbles. I feed pellets only, nothing else and guess what? They eat them. No treats required they are more for us to feel good and not for them, scratch is chicken crack, basically junk food. I prefer pellets because less mess, pecking out of the feeder.


Gary

 

[Folly's place]

Feeds that come as mixed whole grains, or with some grains added, are often a problem. Birds will choose the tastiest bits and leave the rest, totally unbalancing their diet in the process. Either a pelleted feed or crumble will be fine, as long as there aren't other choices!
I feed a crumbled all flock feed, fine for chicks, adults, laying hens, everyone, with oyster shell in a separate dish. Pelleted feed is nice because there's less waste, but chicks can't manage it.
Scratch grains are a treat, not a balanced diet, and free ranging is great, but there's no control over what yummy stuff they find to eat.
Mary

 

[Henriettamom919]

What you all consider whole seed FEED? Please
tell. I used to mix various grade qui, bale, oats . flax, split peas etc.
they would pick thru. so if I do it again will grind somehow

By whole seed I just mean not pre ground pellets or crumbles. I feed this, specifically:

https://www.scratchandpeck.com/shop/naturally-free-layer/

It's pretty expensive so I began fermented feeding to reduce waste. I still keep a bowl of dry feed out all day for snacking. What they don't eat I plant into empty flower beds and they eat the sprouts.

Hope this helps!

 

[Aunt Angus]

TRY MIXING WITH WATER, make a mash......i tricked my girls, i wet down my pellets and they thought is was new food and they gobbled it up....lol

This is exactly what I was going to suggest! And always offer oyster shells on the side. Mine free range, but they always start and end the day with crumbles. I recently switched from layer pellets to grower crumbles because of the added protein. I have a flock of four 11-month old pullets and a 9-week old chick. The chick ad my Brahma are still growing, so I wanted higher protein. To compensate for the lack of calcium in the crumbles, I put containers of oyster shell in a few different areas of the run.

They didn't want to switch at first, so I added warm water to the new stuff and made a mash. They SCARFED it down! Gotta trick them biddies sometimes - LOL! But they won't starve if they're otherwise healthy. If they aren't eating the pellets, they are eating something, right? Silly birds...