Organic Pellets

[Super Admin]

I recently tried some new chicken feed, organic. I usually use the crumble but this was not available in crumble. So....I bought pellets. I have noticed that the food is disappearing very slowly. I am thinking they do not like this food. It cost me double what they were eating and now they don't like it. Is this possible?? I thought chickens would eat anything? Anyone else experience this with their girls??

 

[elmo]

Well, it's a lot of trouble, but you could try breaking up or grinding a couple of pounds of the pellets into smaller pieces, to see if this makes any difference.

 

[bibliophile birds]

i would doubt that it was the fact that it is organic that is making the difference, but it's quite possible they don't like it. changing to pellets could be a large part of it or maybe even the ratios of what's in it. does it have vastly different ingredients than the old feed? my chicks definitely notice a difference if there is too much of something (barley) in the place of something they really love (peas). the feed i get from Countryside Naturals is a whole grain recipe with lots of other goodies, like peas and flax and kelp. they will always leave the things they like less in the bottom of the feeder and only really eat it when the feed gets low. so maybe the pellets have too much of something they don't really love but they can't just pick around it...

 

[elmo]

I'm using Countryside Naturals, too. Loooove that stuff, and so do my chickens. I don't know whether it's the feed or what, but my bantams are pumping out the eggs! I'm getting 4 eggs from 4 bantams nearly every day, with the smallest chicken (she's only about 400 grams) occasionally skipping a day. I had no idea they were going to lay at this rate.

 

[GardeNerd]

Quote:
I have always fed mine organic. However, when I switched to layer, the brand I bought only came in pellets for layers and mine had been getting crumbles in their grower feed. My pullets behaved similar to yours and would not eat it much at all. I think since I only have 4 they are able to be picky and don't try new things as readily. After a few days of them starving themselves I decided it was too expensive to throw out or just give away. I got out the blender, sat down, and ground it all up one afternoon. They started eating it right away and eventually used up the bag. Once I was through all of that feed, I switched back to the organic I was feeding them before because the nutrition label was so similar to the layer and I just supplemented with oyster shell. I didn't want to grind every 50lb. bag.

5 months later they are all healthy and lay lots of nice big eggs. Good luck.

 

[dianer29]

GN I just ordered from Countryside, as you know what I have been going thru with the current situation .I sw Kevin via phone and one of the things he advised me of is to ,once they are on the layer feed ,do not offer calcium as the layer feed will take care of calcium needs . You do not want too much calicum .The food I am waitng on is the "broiler feed". My SILKIES , are 11 weeks old so not on layer feed yet. I like the people at Countryside so far very helpful and knowledgable . I like that fact that peas are number one on ingredients list, not the corn, as corn from another farmers field could contain arsenic and Round -up is used VERY frequently . Who is to say that the corn from organic lands do not cross pollinate with the farmer who chooses to not grow organic?!

 

[noitulover]

i had that EXACT same problem! i bought another bag of the previous crumbles i had been using, then on the first day or two, crumbled up some of the countryside naturals, left some of the pellets in, and poured in half crumbles. about 1/4 crushed organic pellets, 1/4 pellets, and 1/2 crumbles

then a day or two later i did 1/2 pellets, 1/4 crushed pellets, 1/4 crumbles

and a day or two after that, 1/4 crushed pellets, 3/4 pellets

and then finally, ALL pellets. they'll get used to it.

 

[rstampa]

Quote:
diddo!!

 

[Nikki28]

Try adding some water to a dish of the pellets. My hens went nuts as soon as I did that. Now they eat pellets dry no problem but they did give me issues in the beginning.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

They also tend to waste less with pellets, so that may explain why they last longer