[ChrisAndrews]

Hi all, hopefully someone will have some experience/advice.

I have three salmon faverolle hens (about 9 months old), for the last week or so they've pretty much decided they're not going to eat layers pellets anymore.  They're still happy to range on grass/clover or eat afternoon scattering of corn, but have given up on their rations.  They are still laying as normal to date.

I have tried witholding free-ranging to stop access to the clover patch (they're favourite) and stopped any afternoon corn, but having not eaten for days i relinquished so they got something in them.  I have tried mixing they're pellets with water to make a mash and with yogurt, neither of which makes any difference.  The only thing that i know has changed recently is we're on a new bag of feed.  Same company, same dietry info on label, just a different bag.

My second issue is they're weight.  They all weight in around 2kg, when according to info they should be 3kg, obviously if they are underweight i am more concerned about the fact they are not eating rations.  With regards to feeding regime they've always been given enough food so theres a little left over each day, and in the past always went to roost with full crops.

So questions:
Can you put them back on growers pellets to up they're weight?
Is there another method of increasing their weight?
Should i withhold all treats/free-ranging permanently till they start to feed again?
Any other advice warmly welcomed.

[joyfull]

yes withhold all treats apart from the odd bit of greens strung up in their run to keep them active and interested. Provide a good quality layers and plenty of fresh water. My girls are free rangers and until they reach 21/2 years old they all weigh less than the recommended weight, but I put it down to them getting more exercise.

[ChrisAndrews]

Thanks joyfull.

They do have access to quality layers and fresh water at all times.  Perhaps i should be more ruthless then, after a week of this i was getting a bit nervous.  Is it worth adding a crumbled hard boiled egg to the feed to stimulate them?

[TeaPots]

have you wormed then recently?

You could also try orego-stim in their water.(its a kind of vitamin tonic, that also increases appetite. I got mine from Regency/Merrydale poultry, Leicester, but also online), but NO CORN (its like sweeties to choox,).

Good luck

[Ribbit]

Have you tried locking them in the run with a full feeder of layers in it?

[ChrisAndrews]

Hi Ribbit & Teapots

Yup, they just decided they'd rather not eat for 3 days until i eventually let them out and which point they wolfed down as much grass/clover/juicy grubs as they could until i locked them up again.  They were so agitated (i suspect, hungry) at not being out, or given afternoon corn they paced up and down at the gate crowing as loud as cock birds.  god knows what the neighbours think i'm doing to them!!

With regard to worming i have been using vermX, but ordered some flubenvent the other day in case this was a factor.  Saying that i have not noticed any worms in their droppings which tend to vary from watery (now they're not eating) to normal, and the odd yellow one now and then in between!

I'm not familiar with orego-stim but i shall look it up thankyou.  I guess i should put them on the ACV too.

Thanks for your input 

[ehs284]

Ours can also be 'madams', but they will eat anything with ginger mixed into it. Easy and cheap. HTH

[ChrisAndrews]

Any other ideas people? 
Another 2 days and not eating their rations.  I gave them some apple tonight which they have thoroughly enjoyed (to keep some nutrients in them)... but still refusing to touch the rations.  I think i may buy some growers rations on saturday, they loved that stuff, so it may tempt them back into eating pellets.
Amazingly they don't seem to like yogurt... have never come across a chicken that doesn't like yogurt!

[Casey76]

Have you recently changed their food, or opened a new bag?

Since it has been so long since they've eaten properly, I would be tempted to try them back on growers and then slowly reintroduce the layers, mixed with the growers.

[carolbriar]

If you put them back onto growers make sure it is one that doesn't have the coccidosis treatment included in it.  The reason for this is that when they are on the growers you cannot eat the eggs because of this coccidosis treatment in the food. You would probably have to get an organic growers food.
Carol

[Casey76]

You would probably have to get an organic growers food.

Does all UK chick crumb and growers pellets contain a coccidiostat?  I really find that to be really strange.

I haven't yet found a feed range in France that CONTAINS a coccidiostat!

The thing with a coccidiostat is it does what it says on the tin.  When the hen picks up cocci (and there are about 13 different strains) the coccidiostat keeps it from growing, but once it is taken away the cocci can start growing again, and you then find yourself with a whole flock of birds with coccidiosis because they haven't developed any immunity to it.

[carolbriar]

Hi Casey76
Don't know the answer to that one but have read on the forum about having to use either a growers without the coccidiosat or an organic one.  Apparently a lot of the growers food has it in.
Carol

[joyfull]

Not all feeds contain it but the majority do Casey. I use Allen and Page Organic which doesn't and I don't think their small holders range does. I think people with ducks have to be careful and feed food that doesn't contain it as well.
As my feed doesn't I always have an in date bottle of coxoid in stock just in case - although people with chicks that are fed on feed with acs in it should also have it in stock as acs in feed is no guarrentee that their chicks will not get cocci. Please keep a check of the expiry date on the bottle folks as it doesn't last forever.

[ChrisAndrews]

Have you recently changed their food, or opened a new bag?

Since it has been so long since they've eaten properly, I would be tempted to try them back on growers and then slowly reintroduce the layers, mixed with the growers.

Hi,

Its a relatively new bag from carrs and billington.  The nutritional info etc... on the bag is identical to the old one, although i would guess its a different batch number.  They came off growers in Feb, and have been on layers since then.

I have also tried mixing other foods in with the pellets as some suggested.  They just flick the pellets from the feeder onto the floor to find what ever extras are mixed in, but they're not eating the pellets themselves.

Fussy wee blighters!

[ChrisAndrews]

Update:
Still won't eat rations.
I have now offered a new layers rations with no joy.  The agricultural merchants did not sell a growers or chick crumb without ACS.
Their crops seem fine.
I started flubenvet 3 days ago, a few worms but no heavy infestation (i mix it into a grated apple which they seem to enjoy happily). 
I have also started adding some poultry spice to their water which is meant to increase apetite.
They have now all lost around 300g in body weight.

So... any more ideas?