Chickens molt when they're stressed, so that could be your issue, but double check to make sure you're not dealing with mites.Hey there everyone so I got some chickens after taking a break since September I bought four one and a half year olds barnyard mixes the rooster to the hands was an Americuana, and 2 Leghorn pullets who are going to start laying in the next few weeks. I've only been getting one or two eggs a day from the crosses that are laying brown eggs but for some reason they seem to be going through a molt in Feb around neck tail feathers, the guy I got them from said he fed them pellets but I still had a whole bag of crumbles from September in a sealed barrel so I started giving them that and then I figured let me buy a bag of Purina pellets with extra protein cuz I really want to get them on pellets, well they turn their beaks up at the pellets, so now I've been mixing the pellets with the crumble and I'm not sure if they're eating a little of both or what LOL the leghorns seem to be eating the pellets no problem since they're younger they're at the bottom of the pecking order so they'll eat whatever they can get. I figure I could ferment the pellets if worse comes to worse. But I really would like them on a higher protein feed especially the ones that lay blue eggs and since it's winter so I was thinking after I finish up this to switch over to all flock crumbles and supplement with oyster shell, but I really would like them to be on pellets cuz it's less fuss... I've been feeding layena, another reason I want to stick with that Purina brand is there sending me a couple $10 coupons cuz one of the bags I've bought had bolts in it and baseball-size gloves of food?? I returned it and got a refund and wrote to the company and gave them the lot number with pics, also I don't want to keep switching up brands, I was going to give them tractor supplies mini pellets but I didn't hear good things about them and when I used to use in the past I don't remember getting as high egg production but nothing significant, not sure whether I should just stick to my guns and force him to change over the pellets or change over to the all flock and supplement with calcium also what's up with this molting in February? Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated thank you guys so much!
As far as the pellets go, if you stick it out, they should shift when they get hungry! In the meantime, instead of buying two kinds of feed, try taking a mallet to some of the pellets to make them a bit smaller. Mixing them in with the pellets should give your picky eater a decent transition back to pellets.
The TSC brand feed has a lower protein %, for sure. I had no issues with it all summer, when my birds got lots of greens & bugs, but once the cold set in, egg production didn't just slow down, it stopped completely ... for the entire flock! Two weeks ago I changed back to Purina pellets and now we're getting eggs again. They're definitely not up to summer production, but at least The Ladies aren't on strike anymore!