Out in the coop and haven't touched their food!

[LadwoodFarm]

Hello! We moved the flock of 6 from the brooder box to the coop about a week ago (they are about 9 weeks old now) - I moved their feeder and waterer out there with them so they have food and water. I used to fill the feeder every day, but now the food level is hardly going down at all. Could they be filling up on grass, bugs, treats and other miscellaneous stuff and not eating their food. The coop also has a food "chute" which I filled and that level is not going down either. I just want to make sure they are healthy! Any advice?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Chickens don't starve themselves. They are natural born eaters.

That said, spy on them sometimes, when they don't notice or cannot see you watching them. Be sure they aren't filling up on their bedding or some such silliness. Unless something odd like that is happening, they're just fine. They go through spells. Having gobs and gobs of food available is also something to avoid, during the test period. Just put some in each morning and again, if they've devoured it, in the late afternoons. See if feeding them in portions like that causes their appetites to return. It is also possible that they are eating a bit of "nature" in the form of dirt, bugs, grass, etc in their run.

It may also be they have become accustomed to treats? If so, cut back on those until they are back on the feed steady.
Hot humid summer weather causes feed to go stale, I think, as well. That's the issue I have with a two week supply of feed being in the coop, all at once.