Hens NOT eating layer pellets

[Toddgordon]

So my 4 hens will not eat the layer pellets I bought or the oyster shell. They free range all day and LOVE the scratch mix I put down in the run for when they are inside. They follow me to the run after I have let them out and wait until I pit the scratch down. I have mixed the pellets and oyster shell with the scratch but they pick around it. Is this an issue? Should I just buy and feed them scratch?

 

[Chickassan]

Wet the pellets a little bit, no joke it works. And don't just feed them scratch if anything go to flock raiser crumbles. But just moisten those pellets and you should see a world of difference.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Scratch is chicken candy and not a complete feed, if they only want to eat scratch I would not give them any scratch at all for a while so they'd be forced to eat their feed.

Pellets in general aren't loved by chickens so you may want to try a crumble version or a mash, or as noted above wet them/ferment them and see if that makes them more palatable.

 

[rebrascora]

Stop the scratch! It should be a very limited treat if used at all, not their main source of food.... it does not contain all the nutrients they need to grow, be healthy and lay eggs. It can make them fat/obese which then leads to reproductive and digestive tract problems...... I have done necropsies on such birds and it is not a pretty sight! We all know they love it but you have to be disciplined about giving them treats. They will go on strike for a day or two when you stop giving them scratch but eventually they will eat the layer. You need to be tough with them though, just like children.
I've never had a problem with mine eating pellets, but they do get excited about a pan of fermented fed made with layer pellets. It is easy to make. If you really want to treat them, give them a few meal worms instead of scratch, or berries. I give mine a few bunches of elderberries at this time of year.

 

[lazy gardener]

I only use scratch to herd the chickens back into their run. If they are free ranging, and a hawk starts circling or calling from the woods directly behind their coop/run... or a strange dog shows up, I grab the scratch can and use it to herd them all back into their run. It may take a bit of extra effort to gather the stragglers, but that is about the ONLY time my birds get scratch. They may go a week or two from one scratch treat to an other. A bag of scratch lasts for MONTHS with my flock.

 

[Kathy Golla]

My chicks were raised on crumbles and I went to pellets for layer feed. They totally went on strike.
I did the wetting trick, but only lightly for about two weeks.
They caught on after about a month. They all eat pellets now.

 

[Spartan22]

I Agree about wetting the layer pellets, but I found out mixing laying crumbles or flock raiser w/ pellets works too. Since your hens are free range avoid scratch at all. I use tomatoes, sunflower seeds, bread or meal worms as training treat.

 

[azygous]

I learned years ago that layer feed simply doesn't have a very exciting taste, and chickens really do notice.

This was one of the reasons I did away all together with layer feed. Unless you run a commercial egg barn, layer really isn't necessary.

I switched to Purina flock Raiser and provided oyster shell free choice, and soon after, began fermenting the feed. I throw in some BOSS and the chickens can't get more excited about their feed.

This feeding practice also serves my mixed flock well. I have roosters, chicks, and "retired" layers that all should not have layer feed, so the all flock feed makes life simpler - no juggling different feeds for different needs.

 

[debid]

Look at the date stamp on the bag. Every time.

Mine dig in like they're starving when I open a new bag of the locally produced mash. It isn't because it's mash, they did the same for pellets that had a date stamp from the week before I bought it. They can tell if it's fresh.

I have seen feed on the shelf that was many months old. And, I once got a sack of dog feed that smelled off and found that it had mold in the bottom! I assume it had gotten wet in storage.

So, read date, smell food.

 

[DKS]

Wet the pellets a little bit, no joke it works. And don't just feed them scratch if anything go to flock raiser crumbles. But just moisten those pellets and you should see a world of difference.

I have been giving my hens Happy Chicken layer feed and found they are only eating the other ingredients but not the pellets. I am going to try them on layer crumble but I will also try wetting the pellets. I’m concerned about how quickly the wet pellets could get moldy. So, I will not put it in the Grandpa’s feeder but in a separate container. Any thoughts on this?