What to feed picky pullets?

[TxChiknRanchers]

OK all u chicken veterans! We have picky pullets 2 are about a month or two from laying we think. not sure exact age, we adopted them as young pullets. 2 are about half the age of the older pullets. and we have one little BB bantum rooster.

Thet do not like the corn in the scratch feed ( recently heard about the corn and heat thing) maybe they knew that already. won't touch the laying feed 17% protien.

Any suggestions?

 

[thndrdancr]

Mine also wont touch the laying feed. I had to go back to the grower, which they dont like TOO much. They really loved their chick feed, but would eat the grower when I switched them at about 12 weeks, introduced that gradually, mixing it together more an more.

I did the same with the layer feed, but my EE chicken was starving herself to death, and was actually becoming sickly, and my red x link was bony and I didnt realize it, so I am just trying to make sure they get LOTS of calcium to make up for it. Everyone said they should get accustomed to it, but they just were not. So back to grower we went, guess thats gonna have to do. You might wanna try dif brands if that is an option, a friend gave me some of the stuff they get from the grain elevator and my chickens loved it, with millet mixed in. They just want nothing to do with Orschelns CountryPride layer feed, which is about my only option unless I buy 50 lb bag. (Only two chickens, not an option)

Jill

 

[rooster-red]

This may sound cold, but if you leave the laying feed out for them and they get hungry enough, they will eat it.

I went through this several months ago.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

thanks for the input,
gonna try the chick grower mix to see. wife fed them some cooked rice this evening to get them back in the tractor, they ate like starving chickens. so i was wondering if they were. They throw all the scratch feed out of the feeder. they do range the area around the yard when we can watch in the evening but we want them to eat enough so....

 

[thndrdancr]

rooster, I know, thats what everyone said, but after about 9 to 10 days of not eating it...I was worried. Her poo's were nonexistent for the last 2 days before I gave in, and I didnt wanna take a chance, if they want the grower, they can have the grower.
She WAS actually starving. Food wasnt bad either, the other chicken was eating some and wasnt sick from it. My EE just went on a hunger strike.

Who can figure a chicken?
Texas, just to clarify, this isnt the chick feed, this is the transitional grower feed, which does a little more calcium in it than the chick crumbles.

 

[speckledhen]

Try this. Make some oatmeal, just old fashioned or quick oats and water, keep it soupy. To that, add some of the layer feed and let it soak in the water then add some yogurt or buttermilk to that to cool it down, maybe toss in a few raisins and sprinkle with cinnamon. Mine adore that and you can even make "oatmeal" by soaking the layer feed in hot water and doing the same thing from there. They'll get used to the taste and start eating it. Rooster Red is correct, that they will eventually eat it, but that may give them a push and get the nutrition they need.

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:
Wow... my girls hunger strike broke the evening of the second day, so I didn't think they would go longer than that.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yep, something about grower feed is good, mine will go steal the grower feed whenever they get the chance. Gotta do that tough love though and get them to eat that layer. It is more balanced for the laying body.

 

[lurky]

Quote:
I agree with the oatmeal.....They gobble it up on a cool morning.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

well they are not yet layers, and i hate to starve them due to the health ramifications
will try the gruel though thanks. Not sure i want to start cooking "for" the chickens! LOL