[rebecca.smiles]

I have had my new girls for three weeks now and after de-lousing them (they were infested!) they are bright and active, but they won't eat their feed.

I give them layers pellets, which they turn their nose up at, so I soak them in a little water and they become a pulp. the girls will pick at this, though not really, about half a cupful a day. I have stopped giving them any treats but they do roam the garden.

Not only am i keen for them to eat well so they will start laying, but i'm trying to worm the with flubenvet. at a mere half cupful between them they won't get though the 2kg containing it even in a fortnight let alone 7 days!

(to make matters worse, my lovely neighbour is feeding them bread and stuff over the fence, even though i have asked her not to while i worm them for a week).

anyone got any tips on how to get them to eat? or maybe a different tye of wormer that doesn't require adding to food?

 

[yellowpenguin]

Mine wont touch layers pellets, so we had to resort to layers mash. Chickens can be fussy what nots lol..

[Jacinta]

Hello, i'm new too.  You can dip meal worms or other treats into the flubenvet and feed directly, just choose whatever their favorite treat is.  I'm not sure how the dosage works per dip, but i'm sure someone will be able to give you a better answer!

[Trackfrower]

Newbie here too!!

Mine wouldnt eat the layer pellets but love the mash and especially the corn!!

Although they will follow me to the ends of the earth (or garden) for porridge oats and/or cucumber and soft plums

[8doubles]

If the hens are not fond of the pellets you should remove the other options, no free ranging , no scraps and no corn.
A bit of 'tough love' is called for at worming time.

[bantam novice]

I agree with 8doubles here.  You will need to keep them within coop and run while they are being wormed with no treats.  Is there any way you can place coop and run out of reach of your neighbour?

[Lindeggs]

I'm sorry to say that your neighbour is the problem! 

A hen won't starve herself to death if there is food available.  If yours weren't getting the bread etc, they would be eating the layers pellets.  The pellets are a healthy, balanced diet.  bread is not.

It is wonderful that your neighbour is getting some enjoyment from your hens and is obviously supportive of you having them.  But you really need to find a way of stopping her from feeding them!

[Squibbs]

Definitely the neighbour, why have pellets when you can wait a while and have bread. However its of limited nutritional value for chickens.

If you want to be hard nosed about it tell her its illegal to feed chickens anything that's been through a kitchen/food preparation area (as per somewhere on the DEFRA site if you need a reference for her) and you don't want to risk her or you breaking the law 

good luck!

[rebecca.smiles]

Cheers for all the advice guy's. I was thinking about keeping them in the run but felt it was a bit tough, but given that might put the neighbour off (she will go in my garden, but at least then i can spot her!).

how does the dosage thing work? i can't understand - if it is just a matter of getting them to eat 2kg of pellets with the dosage in it that could take a while for 2 hens. So why is it also 'for 7 days' ? is it assuming that they will eat 1kg each in 7 days? if they don't can i put the 6g wormer in just 1kg next time?

[Casey76]

The way the dosing works is that each hen will automatically eat the correct amount of medicated feed for their own body weight.  But this must be the nly food they eat for 7 days.

As to your neighbour... I'm horrified that she would feed another persons animals without permission.  Feeding dry bread to chickens can kill them (it swells in the crop and stomach).  You will have to insist that she desists.

[rebecca.smiles]

Yeah, they are shut in now. I think my neighbour has pushed food through the top of the run. they have eaten hardly anything, and are pecking at the grass in their small run rather than eat the food.

i'll have to find another food.

cheers guys

[8doubles]

Hens really like grass, it would be the breakfast of choice for my hens if i let them. I always keep them in so that they have a fill of pellets before free ranging.
Don`t cave in now and give them corn, they will wake up hungry tomorrow and have to eat pellets.
Do not spoil your kids !

[frizzlemad]

Hi ,

It sounds as if your chickens are getting too much bread from your neighbour! The occasional few Crusts is ok but not everyday ! Chickens will always rather eat bread rather than Pellets given half the chance. Stop the bread and im sure they will start eating their pellets again

Good luck 

[themagicaltoad1]

Have you tried talking to your neighbour? explain that they are on medication and it won't work if she keeps feeding them. I put a pinch of flubenvet in a grape and make sure they each get one a day for 7 days, I picked that tip up from here.

[ManicMum]

How about accepting that you neighbour loves to provide food for your girls, but ask her to give it to you to mix with their other food so they get the proper balance?

If you can arrange this, then she could come and help to feed them - that's often what people want to do.

I've got a casual arrangement with a neighbour that she's welcome to a barrowful of soft, chicken-sifted & enriched soil to boost her garden and she brings the girls a barrowful of mixed weeds in exchange!!  Mutual benefit society!