PLEASE HELP.

[Brady bunch]

Our chickens have been very good but until a couple of days ago they have completely stopped eating their food. We went to layer a week ago and they ate it fine and now they won’t eat. In their run is always old food that they never eat. I do not want them to starve themselves.

 

[harice4806]

Did you go from a crumble to a pellet? Sometimes the form the food comes in can make them eat less/more. Have you given them more fresh foods than normal? Garden veggies, fruits, anything like that? Weather getting warmer? Drinking/pooping normal?

 

[Brady bunch]

They have been eating lots of cherry’s because we have cherry trees all over and it is hard to prevent them from eating to much.

 

[harice4806]

Sounds like a free range buffet! Unless you started free ranging the same time you started the layer feed I wouldn't think that to be the problem. If the layer feed is the only change in their lifestyle maybe try adding small amounts of scratch or something similar with the feed to encourage them to eat it. Hopefully a few days of bribery will help!

 

[GRB73]

Did the cherries just ripen over the last few days? It may be they are filling themselves up on the cherries and other free range goodies that have come into season. Dessert before dinner! Keep offering the layer feed. They will not allow themselves to starve.

 

[quackersandfern]

There is probably something wrong with their feed. Alot of cheaper poultry feed contain mycotoxins - http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/mycotoxin-effects-on-poultry-infograph

Perhaps you need to buy a better feed.

 

[cmom]

When the natural bounty dries up they will most likely start eating their food again and they may be eating a bit of it here and there. I have also mixed some of the feed that I changed the birds from, to the new feed I got for them. Also I have noticed that some of the birds were pickier when I actually had to change a brand of feed. My usual feed store ran out so I had to buy a different brand elsewhere. When my normal feed came in I mixed the other feed with it and they ate it all. Good luck and have fun...

 

[Aunt Angus]

I bet they are just filling up on other goodies, but you can always trick them into eating the pellets by making a mash by adding water to it and letting the pellets absorb it. My chickens think it's a treat, and they gobble it up!

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I think they all have belly aches from consuming too many cherries.

 

[Brady bunch]

I will try to put my chickens on a cherry diet! The mush works very well!