They're not eating any of the feed I buy now

[tlcmurphy]

That is great idea, some chickens eat it in a different format.

My chickens eat cardboard wet or dry...grrrr

Mine will eat anything but the pellet feed I bought to end the waste. Not dry, not wet, not with special sauce…

 

[ChaosMom]

Mine will eat anything but the pellet feed I bought to end the waste. Not dry, not wet, not with special sauce…

Mine have suddenly turned up their noses beaks at the fermented whole grain mash that they adored and would have trampled me into the ground to reach just two weeks ago. Our feed is whole grain, which they happily sift through when fed dry, with ridiculous waste. But they no longer eat it at all in mash form.

This has ~sort of~ coincided with a lot more time spent yard-ranging. They’re happy scratching around, but it’s hard to believe that in the limited area to which they have access they meet almost all their needs.

At any rate, I’m tired of scraping out rejected mash into the trash. I would have thought that they’d eat SOMETHING.

So I guess we’re off to pellet land, which makes me a bit sad, but maybe it’s temporary. I’m open to being talked out of this!!

 

[SkyAJK]

Mine have suddenly turned up their noses beaks at the fermented whole grain mash that they adored and would have trampled me into the ground to reach just two weeks ago. Our feed is whole grain, which they happily sift through when fed dry, with ridiculous waste. But they no longer eat it at all in mash form.

This has ~sort of~ coincided with a lot more time spent yard-ranging. They’re happy scratching around, but it’s hard to believe that in the limited area to which they have access they meet almost all their needs.

At any rate, I’m tired of scraping out rejected mash into the trash. I would have thought that they’d eat SOMETHING.

So I guess we’re off to pellet land, which makes me a bit sad, but maybe it’s temporary. I’m open to being talked out of this!!

I have often thinking about replacing crumble with pellet so that is less wastage, but I have yet find a pellet that at least 17% protein and that with crumble at least the digestive system works a bit more and keep the gizzard strong. I would like to mix some pellet at the very least, but I am too chicken to do it

Mainly can not find a pellet that is min 17% and does not have the additional linoleic acid that make their egg bigger.

 

[ChaosMom]

I have often thinking about replacing crumble with pellet so that is less wastage, but I have yet find a pellet that at least 17% protein and that with crumble at least the digestive system works a bit more and keep the gizzard strong. I would like to mix some pellet at the very least, but I am too chicken to do it

Mainly can not find a pellet that is min 17% and does not have the additional linoleic acid that make their egg bigger.

Edit: oh wait, I’m sorry; you’re in Australia, right? So none of this is useful to you. I’ll leave it up for possible use by those who can get Kalmbach feeds, I’m guessing US and Canada.

Kalmbach has 20% flock maker in both crumble and pellet:

Crumble: https://www.kalmbachfeeds.com/produ...BlguARtRhu2Ot2n_7PypdRsbsRmblVmJmfGtOXmuOcmed

Pellet: https://www.kalmbachfeeds.com/produ...mS4JXEwrEI8O_WxSwmj8-sVIa7CKsTnsYLCRbBKMgOhAu

Both are available through chewy.com, the crumbles for ~$30 per 50# bag; pellets for ~$25 per 50# bag.

 

[SkyAJK]

Edit: oh wait, I’m sorry; you’re in Australia, right? So none of this is useful to you. I’ll leave it up for possible use by those who can get Kalmbach feeds, I’m guessing US and Canada.

Kalmbach has 20% flock maker in both crumble and pellet:

Crumble: https://www.kalmbachfeeds.com/produ...BlguARtRhu2Ot2n_7PypdRsbsRmblVmJmfGtOXmuOcmed

Pellet: https://www.kalmbachfeeds.com/produ...mS4JXEwrEI8O_WxSwmj8-sVIa7CKsTnsYLCRbBKMgOhAu

Both are available through chewy.com, the crumbles for ~$30 per 50# bag; pellets for ~$25 per 50# bag.

Yes, I am in Australia, but other in US or Canada can benefit from this information.

So far I can find chick starters that have 20% protein, but it is organic and soya bean protein, not fish meals..etc.. unless I buy a 20kg bag of feed meals to add to it.

Why does chicken needs Iron in their feed? When I do some research on it, it is kind of confusing, some says good and some say it very bad.......grrrrr.

 

[C Siena]

Golly, ours have tsc mini pellets @ 16% w added treats, veggies, fruits and protein plus free range all day. Never a problem. We wet the pellets e/o day, more on rainy days. More protein a couple weeks prior to molt and w treats. Great egg production. I usually have high protein cat food kibble in my pockets for limited treats. They run to me, follow me for treats (sometimes just their pellets, ha). To them, if it's in my hands or pockets, it's good.

 

[SkyAJK]

Golly, ours have tsc mini pellets @ 16% w added treats, veggies, fruits and protein plus free range all day. Never a problem. We wet the pellets e/o day, more on rainy days. More protein a couple weeks prior to molt and w treats. Great egg production. I usually have high protein cat food kibble in my pockets for limited treats. They run to me, follow me for treats (sometimes just their pellets, ha). To them, if it's in my hands or pockets, it's good.

Something for me to consider...low protein in feed, but additional added by me....

 

[C Siena]

Something for me to consider...low protein in feed, but additional added by me....

Many times, if we have a little meat/protein leftovers, the chickens are fed it the next day. Sometimes, well rinsed tuna. Whole chicken on sale, the carcass w meat, to them but gathering the bones before dusk, due to critters.
I try to balance treats to Not lower the total protein intake. They run to me for cat kibble. They don't get much but it's 30% protein.
I do mix 24% protein feed to the layer during molt = 20%.

 

[Altairsky]

I started feeding my free ranging chickens some crumbles.
They ate none of them.
So none, that eventually the crumbles got moldy in the feeder, without me realizing. They went 2 weeks with no food, only pasture.
When I realized what happened (because of low egg production), I trashed the bag, that only had 15.5% protein BTW and never bought processed garbage again. Never had a problem since.
Free ranging chickens can, and will, go on food strike if they don't like the feed, regardless of treats.

 

[Perris]

So I guess we’re off to pellet land, which makes me a bit sad, but maybe it’s temporary. I’m open to being talked out of this!!

I suggest you dig a bit deeper than the labels to find out what does or may have gone into the pellet first.

Clearly they are getting what they think they need by ranging, and do not currently want what's in the 'whole grain mash' you're offering too. Can you post a photo of that mash?