Why won't my chickens eat layer's pellets....

[SueT]

None of mine liked layer pellets either so I returned to starter grower crumbles. Make sure your feed is fresh --check the date on the bag--is it old? And is it moldy or funky smelling? If not, try moistening the feed and turn it into a mash. They will usually eat that.
But like others, I feed Flock Raiser crumbles, and my chickens like it, both wet and dry...

 

[Shadrach]

Mine do not like layer pellets much either, but it has nothing to do with pellet v crumble because they will gobble down meat bird pellets. It depends on the brand too - They will not touch Dumor layer pellets no matter what. The Purina oyster strong they will eat okay. Generally I prefer not to feed layer feed anyway. Right now I am trying to get through a bag of Full-o-pep 20% layer pellets that are stupidly large. I wish I could just feed them to the goats to get rid of them lol and for now Ill just have to stick with meat bird crumble until I can find an all flock or meat bird pellet. Surprisingly, finding a good feed has been one of my biggest frustrations after moving halfway across the country.

It's a real problem here.

 

[TheLittleFarm18]

I wish I could just feed them to the goats to get rid of them lol

Ha! My dog tries to eat the chicken food, maybe feed it to your dog!

Seriously though, maybe try throwing hand full of it, if I don't have scraps they expect everynevery I just throw couple hand full of feed and they seem just as happy to get that...it's all about the delivery

 

[SunHwaKwon]

If I throw feed on the ground its gone in five minutes from the harvester ants. You should see them make off with all the scratch if I throw them a bit. I've switched to meat bird crumble and I just give them a bit of the layer pellets mixed in to slowly use it up. I make sure everything is eaten up by the end of the day. They free range dawn to dusk but still really like their feed first thing in the morning and to fill their crops before bed. It's so hot here, so foraging ceases from about 11am to 5pm and they just lay in the shade.