Picky chickens

[Shaste]

My hens (1.5yo EE) have been eating crumbled feed since day 1 but waste soo much. I tried pellets about 6 months ago and they refused. Back to crumbles. Tried tiny pellets recently and they're refusing again. Both times I did half and half for a week to transition. Should I wait it out? Will they eat the pellets eventually or ??

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are the pellets the exact same feed or a different brand/different formulation? Have you tried wetting the pellets to see if that's more enticing?

 

[Shaste]

Are the pellets the exact same feed or a different brand/different formulation? Have you tried wetting the pellets to see if that's more enticing?

They're a different local brand and wetted turn to concrete rather than the mush we'd get from the purina crumble. But the old pellets they hated were also purina layer pellets.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They're a different local brand and wetted turn to concrete rather than the mush we'd get from the purina crumble. But the old pellets they hated were also purina layer pellets.

Was the Purina crumble and pellets identical feed (i.e. both layer) or was one layer and the other all flock for example? That would make a difference. Obviously 2 different brands are even more different.

Have you tried crushing the current pellets down slightly to closer to a crumble size and if yes, will they eat it that way?

 

[Al Gerhart]

Try 90% of the crumbles and 10% of the pellets, slowly increase the ratio.

Waste, what kind of feeder? Pictures please.

 

[Shaste]

Good idea to go back a step in the transition. Looks like I'm buying another bag of crumble lol. Last time I tried it was purina layer crumble to purina layer pellets.
The feeder is a simple plastic hanging gravity fed type. I've looked at the no-waste kind but all the reviews I've read so far are mixed.

 

[Shaste]

Oh forgot to add they won't eat it when crumbled either. Pickler than my daughter lol.