[loretta cluck]

I have 6 adorable hybrids, 5 of which eat like little pigs!!!  Have noticed over the last week or so that one of my girls, seems to have lost her enthusiasm for food.  She has always been the scrawny looking one and whilst i can tell the others are putting on weight, she isnt.  Maybe its me worrying unecessarily....she picks and pokes at her food, and cant even be bothered with mealworms, unless i crush them up for her...she's still going "mad" for sweetcorn, and will eat the odd bit of cabbage, but again, only if its in tiny miniscule pieces...the rest are fed on layers pellets in the morning, corn and a few treats in the afternoon...because they are so greedy, she doesnt get a look in, so have been feeding her seperately, but wont touch pellets....could there be some underlying issue...she potters round the garden fine enough, scratting about etc, but seems so thin in comparison to the others....all wormed around 6 weeks ago, and have had mite/lice treatment...any ideas or am i just being an overly concerned newbie...?

[compostqueen]

See if you can pick her up and look at her beak and mouth to see if anything's amiss

Make sure she always has access to good quality layers pellets and grit (Ostrea is good)
She shouldn't be eating sweetcorn if she's not eating her layers.  Leave off the treats and she'll have to eat the layers, which are what she needs for good health

Also if she doesn't get a look in could you feed her separately for a while and put her back with the rest when she's had her fill   

[CoopersCoop]

I have a 'fussy' eating hen also. I just avoid giving her treats of any sort when she goes though that phase, so she will only eat her layers pellets. No worms, corn or grapes. She soon remembers where her pellets are!

But as compostqueen said, check she hasn't got anything stuck in her mouth incase its something more amiss.

[splash101]

After checking theres nothing lodged, try making a porridge with the layers pellets and warm water and see if she has any, you may need to do this away from the others as they will probably get in before her.

We ended up with a bag of layers mash once instead of pellets and none of mine liked it. It didnt last very long anyway, most of it blew away!

Definitely cut out treats though until she is sorted.

[loretta cluck]

Many thanks folks...will carry out an inspection when i finish work this afternoon, and if all well with this, she's going to have to dine alone, in order that i can be certain she's eating the pellets...will try as you say and make the pellets into a porridge for her....i do hope this works, as worrying about her is preventing me from getting on with my work properly!

In addition to this, i mix my grit and oyster shell into the layers pellets - should this be given seperately, or is this just a personal/convenient choice?

[compostqueen]

Separately. Keep it in a plant pot so any rain can drain out.  Mixed poultry grit and/or the Ostrea oystershell grit should be available at all times. They will eat this readily and it helps them process their food properly. 

She will eat her pellets if she gets nothing else. Make sure the pellets are kept clean and dry.  I kept mine in a plastic dustbin with tight fitting lid, in the shed.  My girls really liked the Farmgate layers pellets                   

[loretta cluck]

Thanks...will start giving them their grit separately....have had my hens only 3 months and always mixed grit into the pellets, and have a good supply of eggs...Have had a couple of softies this week, but think thats from little miss fussy if not eating pellets....I'm learning all the time!

[loretta cluck]

The advice worked, thankyou so much.....little Dolly has been merrily eating her pellets porridge all day, and looking at her now, as she is pottering around the garden with the other girls, her crop is pleasantly full.  I didnt find anything untoward in her beak, and also have made my grit accessible separately to food.  Thanks again.