Why are my chickens so picky?

[Brahmaman]

I buy my chickens the scratch mix and the only thing my chickens eat out of it is the sunflower seeds and wheat and the Milo and cracked corn goes to waste. How do I get my chickens to eat the rest of the food and stop wasting it?

 

[Ted n Ms]

I buy my chickens the scratch mix and the only thing my chickens eat out of it is the sunflower seeds and wheat and the Milo and cracked corn goes to waste. How do I get my chickens to eat the rest of the food and stop wasting it?

Cut back on the amount you give them until they clean it up. I only give mine a little cracked corn and they gobble it up.

 

[Brahmaman]

Ok I will try that thanks for the input

 

[Den in Penn]

If your chickens are over 12 weeks and have grit, you can use whole corn. Mine eat the whole kernels first, then the pieces.

 

[Brahmaman]

Yeah my chickens love whole corn but they don't really care for the cracked corn so much.

 

[OLCHOOK]

The only comment that I'd make is that Milo is of very doubtful value to laying hens and pullets. They don't digest it well and what they do digest isn't much good to them.

Personally, I'd mix your own scratch with the major component being wheat followed by cracked or whole corn (5-10%) and sunflower seeds of any colour (5%). This way, you'll be paying for what the birds actually want to eat and raising the food value and protein levels. You can add French Millet into the mix for some variety and the birds will love it.

Linz

 

[Brahmaman]

That sounds good for my chickens and affordable so they wont waste so much food that they do not like. I will try that thanks