Scratch vs. food dilemma

[Hayduke27]

I have a flock of 12 way up in the cold mountains of Colorado, and all winter I was feeding them a couple of scoops of scratch each day, on the ground, to keep them warm and give them something to do in the run. However, now that it's spring (at least in theory), things are starting to thaw out and the scratch is becoming less necessary. However, I have been noticing that the chickens wait around now for me to throw scratch out for them, and have not been eating their layer pellets, or at least not much (I haven't filled the feeder for a month, that's a record!). In response, I stopped throwing out scratch, because I know they need the nutrition of the layer pellets.

They do get to free range, but as much as they are scratching through the mud and dirt, I can't imagine they are fully supplementing themselves on the sparse springtime offerings. I changed chicken food brands mid winter, and it sort of seemed like I noticed an immediate slow down in eating. Could it be they don't like their new food? I have thought about buying the old stuff again just to see.

Anyway, has anybody ever encountered anything like this? Surely if I just stop feeding the scratch they'll revert back to their pellets, no? Should I go back to the brand of food they seemed to like?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

What happens if you toss out a couple handfuls of layer feed in the yard when & where you would have thrown the scratch?

 

[Hayduke27]

I have actually been trying that! It seems like first thing in the morning, when they are hungry, that works out pretty well. However, it seems to work best in the straw. If they can just see it lying on the ground, they look and walk away. I also changed from crumbles to pellets over the winter, I wonder if they liked the smashed up food better?

 

[realsis]

They might not care for their new food. I've had that happen to me before and they wouldn't touch it. I switched back and they were fine. I gave the food they didn't like to the wild birds because the store won't take it back. Sometimes they just don't like certain foods. Hope this helps. As for scratch id just throw out their regular feed to them now and they will get used to the idea. Best of luck.

 

[Percheron chick]

I've had a dramatic decrease in food consumption. All winter I was going through a 50# bag every week like clockwork with 14 hens and 9 guineas. The last bag lasted 3 whole weeks. They've always been able to free range so the only difference is what is now available that was dormant a month ago. Mine still love their corn and run to the coop if I'm walking past it JIK they can guilt me into throwing them some. As long as they are still producing and of good weight, I wouldn't worry about it.