[Lindeggs]

There are two main reasons why I wouldn't feed laying hens on growers' pellets:

1) If the pellets are medicated (as Joyfull has already said).  The medications are not fit for human consumption so you wouldn't be able to eat the eggs.

2) Because growers' feed doesn't contain enough calcium for a laying hen.  I suppose you could remedy this by providing shell grit at all times.

At the moment as nobody is laying the grower's mash won't do any harm and might help to build them up a bit, but do check for the medication as there is likely to be a 14 day with-holding period when you can't eat the eggs if someone starts laying.  In this case you could feed the eggs back to the chickens as extra nutrition.

[eggbertina]

Yes - my hens were exactly the same when I first got them and would not eat their pellets.  So I added hot water to them to make a porridge and they gobbled it up.  They did eventually eat dry pellets, but still eat more if wet.  I hang their water dispenser just above the bowl of food, originally to stop them walking in the food or immediately turfing it out with their big feet.  But now they've learnt to tip the water up and water their own pellets. 

[hillfooter]

Persist with using layers pellets cut out the treats.  Keep nutrition simple don't mix treats with their staple diet or they will just ignore the staple diet and eat the treats and the problems will persist.  Just a handful of corn each in the evening and I'm sure they will settle down.  

I suspect chopping and changing their feed and mixing corn with the pellets etc is just unsettling them.  Chx don't like their food changing and will often go off feed if you change.   Soften the pellets with water if that works but ween them onto dry pellets asap.  With perseverance you will succeed I'm sure.  I've never heard of chx starving to death when they have access to food.  Maybe being a newbie you are being a bit over anxious

Damp pellets are a big inconvenience as you can't feed wet pellets in a gravity feeder and if you leave damp pellets in a bowl too long they will go mouldy and cause digestive problems.  Moulds can produce toxins too which cause infections.  Ensure the feed is regularly refreshed and if fed dry kept under cover.

Neither should you feed growers to birds in, or coming into lay.  As Lindeggs says they need calcium and they definitely won't come into lay if you don't feed them correctly.
Best of luck
HF

[Casey76]

If you changed from one brand directly to another this might be your only problem   Ideally you should switch feed over a period of about 2 weeks, so that the birds have a chance to get used to the new food.

Personally I would go with the tough love approach... feed only the new pellets, with nothing extra.  Once the birds are hungry enough they will eat them

[Pony Girl]

I changed them over to layers' mash at the weekend, dampened down to porridge consistency and they love it!! I think they find it easier to eat than the pellets. Let's hope it lasts!

[bygrace]

Mine laways seem to leave a bit for manners - whether I cut back or give them extra, they always seem to leave the same amount. Polite chooks in Wiltshire

[Poultry Pioneer]

try giving them mixed corn or mash to vary their diet.

[Pony Girl]

Well just to update you. I'm now feeding my bantams and favorelle on dampened layers pellets. They've also got a hopper feeder with layers pellets so they've got a choice between the two. The two bantams are fine but Bella still has issues eating.

She goes days without appearing to eat anything at all; her crop is always empty at night or you can feel just a few pebbles or grains in it but it's as flat as a pancake. She also feels lighter so I worry about her losing weight and starving so end up bringing her into the house and feeding her. If I put the same bowl of mash on the floor in the kitchen and stroke her, she happily tucks in and eats it up and her crop fills up. Obviously it's not good practice to keep doing this but I'm not sure what to do. Should I just leave her to it and hope that she eventually she'll give in and eat rather than starve to death? I'm worried that she'll become too weak if I leave it too long.

How come she'll happily eat from a bowl on the floor in the kitchen but won't eat the same food in the same bowl outside like a normal chicken? Her other signs are all good, droppings appear fine. Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.