Ok Maybe I have spoiled my chickens..(Oh The Horror of being a first time chicken owner) I bought some chicken feed when the store was out of lay crumbles. Now that I have Lay crumbles, I mix it with the grains and the chickens wont eat it. They eat the grains, the treats(Watermelon rinds, noodles, oatmeal and grapes and bread scraps) but every day when I go in to feed the lay crumbles are still in the feeder. I understand my older hen Lucy is molting, and some days I get one egg, some days I get two eggs and somedays I get none. I have Two hens old enought to lay, Lucy and Wynona with the other two about 14 weeks old... Is this normal??
Chickens wont eat Lay Crumbles
it just isn't as tasty! if that is what you want them to eat, stop giving them the other. they will eat it in a day or so. you can always rotate their food, just don't bother putting the crumbles out when you give them treats... there is more to life than lay curmbles LOL, when you are a spoiled chicken!
and btw, the 14 week olds still need grain and treats, no layer stuff yet... save it for 20 weeks or more...
you can speed up the lmoliting and make it less severe with some high protien treats...
my chickens won't eat cracked corn
mine eat everything. You go out to them and they have free ranged all day, and you drop something on the ground and it like a flood of feathers, and a bunch of squawking. You would think I starve them to death. I gave the dogs a little bit of left over steak and it was an attack from the chickens. I had to steal it from them just so the dogs could have it.
Do they need more Lay than grains? I thought they did to lay eggs, but since I am learning, I could be wrong. I went and got some meat dog food for them, just have not given it to them, I thought I would when it got colder and there was no more bugss. I watched Lucy pluck a june bug out of the air and eat it.. I was happy, I hate them bugs and I have a bunch of them around the ranch. Also I have some cracked corn I was giving the horses with their MSM, and I have a half of big bag left, would that be ok to give them as well? Thanks for your advise..... I really like my chickens and dont want them to be harmed... or hungry...
MissJestr,
If your chickens were the slightest bit hungry ... they'd eat the crumbles.
Kelly in Moxee
Recently I tried to switch mine from crumbles to pellets. They resisted the pellets for a whole week. I had to buy some crumbles to mix with the pellets when I noticed some of the hens getting weak from hunger. Some of them will eat cracked corn. Others won't. Guess it depends on how mature they are.
MollyD
Mine still won't eat their layer pellets--they free range and raid the chick's mash when they can. My little Silkie has discovered he can have the pellets all to himself without being chased by the bigger chickens--and he does.