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

[ChaosMom]

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?

I would but I’m temporarily not doing mash, because I’m getting a knee replacement next week, and I’m trying to simplify things a bit for my husband.

The mash was initially made from 18% chick feed and then part chick feed, part layer. Even though the feeds were from the same company (Kalmbach), they were very different in terms of appearance. The chick feed has almost all whole grain plus the fines (no pellets) containing supplements. The layer version has noticeably fewer whole grains and the rest Mystery Pellets. So I can understand the refusal in the chicken attitude of “OMG, what’s that; she’s trying to kill us.”

So I went back to only the chick feed in the mash, but they still noped.

At this time, the weather also began heating up, so maybe that affected the flavor.

At any rate, I’ve decided against the layer feed in favor of chick or all-flock, so Im just feeding it dry and not worrying about waste for now. Ideally, I’d like a combo of non-layer mash in the mornings and dry on hand for when they feel they need it. They’re definitely thriving on the foraging, generally three hours in the mornings and three-four in the late afternoons/evenings.

 

[ChaosMom]

This is their preferred feed (Kalmbach Chickhouse Reserve), straight from the bag. The fermented feed looks a lot like this, but moist :

 

[thecatumbrella]

I’m getting a knee replacement next week

Oh my gosh. Sending healing vibes your way!

We've 100% had strikes over a food change. I think I even made a post about it. I was trying to switch my old girls from chick starter to layer feed. It was even the same brand! But nope. They resorted to eating the mulch in the run.

I'll keep the new girls on chick starter indefinitely and offer oyster shell when the time comes. They do go bonkers for the all-flock pellets (same brand), so I'll put those in treat toys and hide some around the run for them to forage.

 

[Perris]

This is their preferred feed (Kalmbach Chickhouse Reserve), straight from the bag. The fermented feed looks a lot like this, but moist :

View attachment 4130129

looks better than most I've seen, but still contains a lot that is processed, and therefore has lost some nutrients and loses the rest fast, while it has other things added for production and storage purposes. For comparison, this is the sort of thing I serve as whole grain feed (fermented)

Sorry to read about your knee, and I totally understand you wanting something simple while your proxy takes over chicken feeding duty. I hope the surgery goes well and you make a quick recovery.

 

[redinator]

Try feeding the food wet (mash), my chickens go bonkers for that. I’d swear they’d eat cardboard if I wet it down.

They will. I had a box left in the yard after buying larger feeders. I forgot about the box and it got rained on. The next day I let them out of the run and they meandered over to the box and started pecking at, I assumed there were bugs crawling on it that they were after, a couple of minutes go by while I'm filling feeders and changing water. I realized they'd pecked a hole in the cardboard and were nibbling at it, again I figured, once they realize it doesn't taste good they'll move on. No so much . . . . I finally picked the box up and tossed it in the trash . . .one jumped in the trash can before I could close the lid, lol. She was not happy when I recused her from the 'snack bar' aka trash can.

 

[Smokerbill]

looks better than most I've seen, but still contains a lot that is processed, and therefore has lost some nutrients and loses the rest fast, while it has other things added for production and storage purposes. For comparison, this is the sort of thing I serve as whole grain feed (fermented)
View attachment 4130526
Sorry to read about your knee, and I totally understand you wanting something simple while your proxy takes over chicken feeding duty. I hope the surgery goes well and you make a quick recovery.

That looks like it would be a good breakfast cereal if it were cooked for a while.

 

[ChaosMom]

View attachment 4130547

That looks like it would be a good breakfast cereal if it were cooked for a while.

The day we brought our three home, we were still waiting for the Chewy delivery in a few hours, so I tried them on Bob’s Old Country Style Muesli. They were horrified. Go figure.

Ingredients (this is the muesli):
Whole Grain Wheat, Dates, Sunflower Seeds, Raisins (Raisins, Sunflower Oil), Whole Grain Rye, Barley, Whole Grain Oats, Whole Grain Triticale (Wheat), Almonds, Flaxseed and Walnuts

 

[ChaosMom]

looks better than most I've seen, but still contains a lot that is processed, and therefore has lost some nutrients and loses the rest fast, while it has other things added for production and storage purposes. For comparison, this is the sort of thing I serve as whole grain feed (fermented)
View attachment 4130526
Sorry to read about your knee, and I totally understand you wanting something simple while your proxy takes over chicken feeding duty. I hope the surgery goes well and you make a quick recovery.

I still hope to follow your lead, but you have economies of scale on your side. I’m going to check at next Tuesday’s farmers market for an egg seller to see if there’s a buying group I can get in on for the grains.

 

[Perris]

The day we brought our three home, we were still waiting for the Chewy delivery in a few hours, so I tried them on Bob’s Old Country Style Muesli. They were horrified. Go figure.

That one's easy. They were like us on 1st day exotic holiday abroad, presented with food they'd/we'd never seen before. 'Ewww' is a common refrain of Brits in such circumstances, though the foreign food they're looking at as they say it is probably a lot healthier than the junk they eat back home.

With any novel food it pays to offer little and often till the boldest bird tries it.

 

[ChaosMom]

That one's easy. They were like us on 1st day exotic holiday abroad, presented with food they'd/we'd never seen before. 'Ewww' is a common refrain of Brits in such circumstances, though the foreign food they're looking at as they say it is probably a lot healthier than the junk they eat back home.

With any novel food it pays to offer little and often till the boldest bird tries it.

Looking back, I’m not surprised. Three young pullets, transported in a cat carrier (!) to a whole new world away from their flockmates into the hands of manifestly ignorant new humans! I’d have refused, too.

- looking back, it’s just as well. That muesli is wonderful, but expensive! I would have had to come out of retirement and earn some spare cash if it had caught on.