Our girls won't eat layer pellets and act like they are starving all the time

[jacksprat1980]

There is nothing wrong with grower or crumbles. Grower is just higher protein, crumbles is the same as pellets, only broken up more. You can eat those eggs. Mine have always eaten grower and crumbles.

Only problem that may occur is if the grower is medicated, and therefore eggs usually can't be consumed. Non-medicated would be ok though

 

[Cluckies]

There is nothing wrong with grower or crumbles. Grower is just higher protein, crumbles is the same as pellets, only broken up more. You can eat those eggs. Mine have always eaten grower and crumbles.

Only problem that may occur is if the grower is medicated, and therefore eggs usually can't be consumed. Non-medicated would be ok though

well , yes, make sure it is unmedicated. I think most of the growers are unmedicated. You can also feed game bird grower for more protein when meeded. (Unmedicated).

 

[Folly's place]

If the feed has amprolium, it's safe to eat the eggs. If some antibiotic is present (and that's not going to be available OTC any more in the USA) then don't eat the eggs. Medicated chick starter feeds have amprolium, so no issues there. Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

oh no! what is it in crumbles or grower that can't be fed to layers or makes the eggs where they can't be eaten for 2 weeks? because I have done both? I am new to the chicken game and my girls would not eat the pellets either and I have two that stared laying and two that were almost ready to lay so I mixed some grower feed with some pellets and got some crumbles, added some scratch and made my own mixture and they all were happy and looking great and now one of the others has started to lay. I also have been eating the eggs!

Tonya, next time you buy feed, simply be sure it is not medicated. The amprolium that is in medicated chick starter will not cause an issue with the eggs, but it's simply not necessary, and if you are like many folks with back yard layers, the less chemicals your birds have, the better. You might like to try fermenting your feed. It gives them a nutritional boost, gives their guts a healthy balance of bacteria for better digestion, as well as making their feed more easily digested so that a bag of feed will actually go further.

 

[Mak24456]

Only problem that may occur is if the grower is medicated, and therefore eggs usually can't be consumed. Non-medicated would be ok though

I'm late to the party, but eggs from chickens on medicated feed are perfectly safe to eat. Medicated feed contains amprolium, which is a coccidiostat, not an antibiotic. You can eat the eggs right away and there is no need to throw them out. Straight off Nutrena's website: "1. Amprolium is a drug that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. 2. Amprolium IS NOT an antibiotic 3. Amprolium has no withdrawal period, either in birds raised for meat or those used for egg production. 4. Aprolium works by limiting uptake of thiamine (vitamin B1) by the coccidia parasite, which needs the thiamine to actively multiply. 5. Amprolium allows some of the coccidia to remain in the system, stimulating creation of antibodies to develop against the disease." http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/medicated-chick-starter-facts/

 

[heathers3cuties]

Try a whole grain layer, I use an organic feed that is soy and corn free as corn is strictly just a filler with no nutritional value it's basically garbage and almost always GMO ! There's absolutely no need in their diet for it . Get a good quality food and fill them up on good stuff ! And I concur, my girls hate pellets

 

[S1MY T]

Mine weren't eating layer pellets and I tried this and they loved it. How much do they need a day. I have two chickens? Many thanks

 

[cabincreations]

Often when birds will not eat their feed, it is simply because it is spoiled...so be careful about starving them...and yes, some feeds can be spoiled or moldy right from the feed store. Not often, mind you, but it can happen

 

[lazy gardener]

Often when birds will not eat their feed, it is simply because it is spoiled...so be careful about starving them...and yes, some feeds can be spoiled or moldy right from the feed store. Not often, mind you, but it can happen

Agreed. Even if a feed does not look or smell bad, call the store, and they most likely will replace it.

 

[Amanda E]

I switched my girls to natures best organic layer pellets from the cheep feed store pellets. I mixed the two feeds for over a month before switching completely. The first bag of strictly new feed the dug out of the feeder and threw on the ground (for an entire month). Seem to be eating a little better now. But they have all lost weight. The vet likes the new feed much better but my girls don’t. Do I just keep only offering them the organic feed or do I cave in and try another brand?