Probably a Really Stupid Question

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

...um.. <where's the embarassed emoticon??)

So.. I have my girls on Layer pellets, and I was in the henhouse and noticed that my two bantams seem to be having trouble eating them. They peck at them, but Jane acted like it was.. for lack of a better word.. stuck in her throat (it wasn't.. maybe it just went down dry??). Anyway.. everyone else is standard size and have no probs with the pellets at all.

Maybe I'm just an idiot.. I don't recall seeing anything that said bantams couldn't have the pellets.. nothing is printed on the bag "For Standard Sized Chkns only". Is this just something EVERYONE knows, or will they figure these pellets out? They were from a breeder, and kept in individ. cages, so I have no idea what they were eating before (poor Jane really needs a bit of a beak trim soon). Prior to this, I had them eating the grower crumbles (more like mash) that I bought for the Littles (6wkers) since my little pullet isn't laying yet.

Maybe I should just give them the grower, and when the pellets are gone, get layer crumbles (is there such a thing?) next time instead?

Meghan

 

[ruth]

I bought a bag of layer pellets by mistake and my standard size chickens wouldn't/couldn't eat them. At first I was bringing them in and grinding them up in a blender (the pellets not the chickens

) Then I got the novel idea to mist them with the hose when I was watering the plants in their run and they all began gobbling them as if they were chicken crack. I wetted them from then on till the bag was gone. Since then I buy layer "crumbles" it only comes in 50 lb bags at the shops here but I mix it with a 10 lb bag of black oil sunflower seeds and a 25 lb bag of scratch and store it all mixed up in two big rubbermaid containers. Then all I have to do is scoop out what I want to feed. Of course, I also feed my chicks fresh fruits, vegetables and their favorite, finely shredded cheese and they free-range our woods and property all day long till they put themselves to bed at night. I've also found that I can wet down the "dust" that is left in the pan from the food and they love it. No waste.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

began gobbling them as if they were chicken crack

Thanks Ruth! That's a great idea. My greedy Big Girls love their pellets, but they are, well, Big Girls. My little Roo, RockyB, eats the pellets, but seems to struggle a bit. Jane was REALLY having a hard time.

I'll try the wetting thing tomorrow and see how that goes.


I bought the ladies a bag of the sunflower seeds a few weeks ago. Stupid me, though, left the rest of the bag in the henhouse (or it was a 400ft trek to the garage.. I'm lazy!). And.. the chickens figured out how to put holes in the bag, spread the seeds around, and eventually ate them all.

Naughty girls!
They are huge cheese fans, too! Good thing we don't keep the fridge in the henhouse.

Meghan​

 

[bantymum]

Hello girls!
My banties love the scratch mixed grains, they dont eat the pellets!
They eat lots of grass and bugs in the garden too!

 

[beebiz]

My Mille Fleur bantams eat the layer pellets right along side of my Buff Orpington hens & roos! I don't wet them down or anything. I'd be careful wetting down any of the dry feeds. It cause mold to start growing... even inside the feeder.

Robert

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Hi Meghan
You can pick up layer mash or crumbles at Paris Farmers Union.
Blue Seal makes it. Or if you have Agway I believe they sell Poulin grains and they also make layer mash. Just ask st the counter. I feed my pellets though since they spread the mash every where. Mine don't seem to have a problem with the pellets, but they are also little piggies.

 

[s6bee]

This is a stupid question, but what is scratch? What is in it that they need? I haven't seen it around here so not sure where to get it? What's the going rate around your area for it too?

Thanks
Stephanie

 

[nccountrygirl]

Mine dont like layer pellets either. I only have 2 out of 9 hens laying so I have been mixing the layer pellets with there start and grow crumbles, they eat the crumbles and leave the pellets, will that mess up the 2 that are laying?

 

[rosyposyosy]

huh. I've seen my EE eat the layers pellets, and my 12 wk old chick. I've never really thought about it before until now, but I've never seen the banty eat any...

 

[ruth]

Quote:
No stupid questions. The scratch I buy at the feed stores around here is labeled just that "scratch". It's a mixture of seeds and ground up corn and molasses and other things. I've thrown out the bag so I can't tell you what all is in it. You'll read different opinions on this forum about whether it is strictly a winter feed - because it causes chickens to get too warm - or strictly a treat - but it is what many old timers solely feed their chickens year round.

As I mentioned in my post - I mix it with layer crumbles and black oil sunflower seeds and feed it daily - but my chickens also free range the woods and gets lots of bugs all day long and get fresh veggies and fruits and bread and whatever I have on hand - twice a day.

Mine dont like layer pellets either. I only have 2 out of 9 hens laying so I have been mixing the layer pellets with there start and grow crumbles, they eat the crumbles and leave the pellets, will that mess up the 2 that are laying?

When I switched to layer feed I did so a few weeks before they began laying. I don't really think you have to worry about whether you've mixed it with grower feed or not (you'll see different opinions on this) but you don't want to feed laying hens grower feed if it's medicated. Other than wether or not it's medicated feed, the only real difference between grower and layer is the protein content. Not a huge deal if you also feed them lots of other feeds, like scratch, and fresh fruits and veggies, cheese, and free range for bugs.

My REALLY love when I buy them meal worms or live crickets - really funny show.

As I suggested - you can mist down the pellets and all chicks, large and small will eat them. You only want to wet down what can be eaten immediately as others have posted due to possible mold.​