Fussy chooks when it comes to feeding seeds

[Peakview]

Don't know if anyone has had this problem but my chooks will only eat the black sunflower seeds in their food. I have purchased many different types of complete chook food but they still only eat the sunflower seeds and leave all the rest which goes to waste & is about 90% of the seed mix in the bags.
They wont touch the pallet type foods either as I tried those thinking it might change their eating habits, but no luck.
I thought I would be smart and buy just sunflower seeds but when I do that they wont eat the sunflower seeds at all and just look at it in their feeders as if their feeders are empty ?
I've even tried to be hard & not give them anything other than what is in their feeder for a week hoping they get hungry enough to eat the seeds but a week later the feeders are still full with seed & the only ones missing is the sunflower seeds.
I'm at a loss at finding a way for these birds to eat their seed & concerned that they may not be getting enough food/seed for their growth and health. Does anyone have a suggestion to change/encourage the eating habits of these birds?
The birds(6) are a mix group of different breads, reds, whites, black & speckle types. Noel

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. You should feed your chickens a complete balanced chicken feed depending on their age, either 20% or 16% protein. Stop the seeds completely so they won't have a choice. Most chickens cannot resist chicken feed with water added to make an oatmeal consistency. Many people feed their chickens a small amount of scratch or other types of seed, but that should never be more than 10% of the diet, since most grains only have about 8% protein.

 

[Odelia]

Lets start with more information. How old are your chickens? Do they free range or are they locked in a run? At what age did they start this behavior/ how long has it been going on? Do they get any other snacks? Lets say table scraps? Do they eat it?

 

[Peakview]

Thanks Odelia & Eggcessive for your comments. The chooks have different ages, the first two are 3 years old & they went cluckly
last summer on a batch of eggs that were not fertile because I had no Rooster. I decided to buy 4 one day old chickens to put under the hens as it was the first time they had gone cluckly & I wanted them to experience motherhood rather than just take the eggs away as they had already sat on the eggs for over a month & add new stock to my pen. The 4 new chickens are now 6 months old & some have started laying eggs. One turned into a Rooster. They all free rome in a very big fenced off area as well as have a coop which is quite large too. I do feed them table scraps occasionally but not every day and most times they eat what has been given.
When the chickens were first introduced to the pen I brought special feed for them as recommended by the chicken breeder until they grew into young hens. The original older hens were fussy with their feed before the new arrivals & I'm wondering if their eating habits has influenced the younger hens ?

 

[centrarchid]

Seed quality. How old and how was it stored. Age not always evident on packaging and I have encountered items sold well beyond their recommended shelf-life.

 

[Peakview]

Thanks Centrarchil, with regards to age of seed I buy it weekly from a supplier so I'm sure it quite fresh & I store it in a large plastic drum with a sealing lid to make sure it stays dry & stops rodents entering or eating it.

 

[centrarchid]

Verify it has not been sitting in store or storage bin of whole-seller / distributor / producer for extended period of time. Birds most likely not consuming such fare because something is wrong specifically with the seeds. Experience talking on this matter.

 

[chic05]

I have the very same problem mine only eat the black seeds also. They go nuts for it. I have a lasting supply of goldenyolk pallets that seems to just sit there as well..
Cheeky chickens

 

[Peakview]

Thank you Chic05, glad to see I'm not the only one having this problem. I'm at a loss to know what to do to change this behaviour ?

 

[centrarchid]

Thank you Chic05, glad to see I'm not the only one having this problem. I'm at a loss to know what to do to change this behaviour ?

You have not addressed possibility I indicated.