[Pony Girl]

Can anyone recommend an alternative to layers pellets?

I have one salmon favorelle (about a year old) - Bella, one approx year old bantam (Floss), and a two year old bantam (Flo). I'm concerned that they are not eating their pellets. They are fed Fancy Feed Layers Pellets, which I swapped them onto a couple of months ago because they had the same problem with a different brand of pellets.

On Tuesday I had to rush Bella to the vet after finding her pale, lethargic, wobbly and very thin with watery diarrhoea. I thought we were going to lose her but fingers crossed the antibiotics seem to be kicking in at the moment. She had completely lost her appetite so I have been hand feeding her scrambled egg with a few meal worms just to try and get some food into her. She has now got her appetite back (the vet said she had an infection) but is still not eating pellets.

I've also been concerned about the other two because they also seem to have an almost empty crop at night time - you can only feel a few grains of corn in it and the vet says they could all do with putting on more weight. I have been trying to feed them corn in the afternoons but obviously this is becoming less practical with the shorter days and me working full time.

I have been mixing the pellets with a tiny bit of cod liver oil, a few mealworms and some poultry spice to try and make it more appetising. They are regularly wormed with Flubenvet. A couple of weeks ago I found some red mites for the first time in the house, so that has been treated with Poultry Shield, diatom, and the birds have had louse powder.

My concern is that if they're only on pellets they won't be getting enough to eat (as they don't eat them!), but if I mix it with corn etc they'll just pick those bits out and not eat the pellets anyway. Has anyone else experienced this or have any advice they could offer me?

[joyfull]

they might prefer layers meal/mash so you could try buying just a little bag o that if your local pet supplies sell that. Cut out all treat especially the meal worms - if they don't free range then some cabbage hung up should be ok for them. The meal/mash is messier but some birds prefer this rather than pellets.
Also retreat their coop etc for redmite as there could still be some that were either missed or have hatched.
Glad Bella has responded to treatment 

[Lindeggs]

Mine seem to prefer their pellets dampened a little.  

Some brands I've tried the pellets have been very big and/or very hard, and the chickens seem to take ages to get used to them.  I start by feeding them a little damp (you can also add your oil and poultry spice).  Then I gradually reduce the water until they are eating the dry pellets.

I agree that you should stop all the treats until they have good eating habits again.  It is likely they are not eating their pellets because they are waiting for you to come with the corn and meal worms.  If you come home too late, they have run out of eating time before dark and have to go to bed hungry.

So for a month or so, just feed the layer pellets (or mash) with a bit of water and your supplements, and see how you go.

[funkychook]

they might prefer layers meal/mash so you could try buying just a little bag o that if your local pet supplies sell that. Cut out all treat especially the meal worms - if they don't free range then some cabbage hung up should be ok for them. The meal/mash is messier but some birds prefer this rather than pellets.
Also retreat their coop etc for redmite as there could still be some that were either missed or have hatched.
Glad Bella has responded to treatment 

I had the same problem with my girls. I bought a big bag of layers pellets and they would just not eat it out of the feeder, so I mixed it with some water and meal worms, and some fruit and veggies and they would eat eventually eat it.

In the afternoon I give them corn mix and perhaps a few treats, but they free range from 2pm until they pop off to bed at 4.30 on their own lol.

Then someone mentioned mash so i bought a bag full and tried it wet with some fruit and veg, and meal worms in and they gobble it up, they love it and their eggs are coming thick and fast now.

I thought only my old man and the cats and the dog were fussy but now chickens too lol.

[funkychook]

Can anyone recommend an alternative to layers pellets?

I have one salmon favorelle (about a year old) - Bella, one approx year old bantam (Floss), and a two year old bantam (Flo). I'm concerned that they are not eating their pellets. They are fed Fancy Feed Layers Pellets, which I swapped them onto a couple of months ago because they had the same problem with a different brand of pellets.

On Tuesday I had to rush Bella to the vet after finding her pale, lethargic, wobbly and very thin with watery diarrhoea. I thought we were going to lose her but fingers crossed the antibiotics seem to be kicking in at the moment. She had completely lost her appetite so I have been hand feeding her scrambled egg with a few meal worms just to try and get some food into her. She has now got her appetite back (the vet said she had an infection) but is still not eating pellets.

I've also been concerned about the other two because they also seem to have an almost empty crop at night time - you can only feel a few grains of corn in it and the vet says they could all do with putting on more weight. I have been trying to feed them corn in the afternoons but obviously this is becoming less practical with the shorter days and me working full time.

I have been mixing the pellets with a tiny bit of cod liver oil, a few mealworms and some poultry spice to try and make it more appetising. They are regularly wormed with Flubenvet. A couple of weeks ago I found some red mites for the first time in the house, so that has been treated with Poultry Shield, diatom, and the birds have had louse powder.

My concern is that if they're only on pellets they won't be getting enough to eat (as they don't eat them!), but if I mix it with corn etc they'll just pick those bits out and not eat the pellets anyway. Has anyone else experienced this or have any advice they could offer me?

I used the mash with water, some fruit and veggies and a few mealworms and my girls now love it and eat it all up. They hate the pellets dry but will eat them if they are wet. Daft birds lol.

[Pony Girl]

Thanks, everyone. I never thought chickens would be such hard work - everyone said they were easy to look after!

I think I'll give the layers' mash a try. What are chick crumbs? Are they any good?

Will it do them any harm going to bed with an empty crop? I'm worried they'd let themselves starve to death (as Bella nearly did) rather than give in and eat pellets.

[helens-hens]

Chick crumbs are for chicks, your hens need layers pellets or mash as they have different dietary requirements.

They shouldn't go to bed with empty crops, particularly now as it is getting colder. Until you get the layers mash, if you are worried they aren't eating enough you could try adding some hot water to some layers pellets in a bowl to make a 'porridge', make sure it isn't too hot before you give it to them. You could give them this before they go to bed and possibly also first thing, then at least you know they are getting something inside them.

[funkychook]

Thanks, everyone. I never thought chickens would be such hard work - everyone said they were easy to look after!

I think I'll give the layers' mash a try. What are chick crumbs? Are they any good?

Will it do them any harm going to bed with an empty crop? I'm worried they'd let themselves starve to death (as Bella nearly did) rather than give in and eat pellets.

 Chickens are easy to look after if you throw all the books away lol....I thought it would be easy as when my uncle, and my nan had them they just used to give them scraps and corn and they survived very well thank you with loads of eggs.

Now if you read the books and stuff its terrifying lol....

I suppose they are brought up fussy as chicks lol and carry on into adulthood a bit like kids. In the old days chicks were just fed anything and had to survive.

I worry all the time mine arnt eating enough then have to remind myself that if they are hungry they should darn well eat what they are given lol.

You can buy the mash online and I had mine delivered the next day.

They do love their mash but they like it with bits in lol. Sometimes when i look at their food its really colourful and I think crikey i could eat that lol.

I free range my girls now in the afternoon and today I put a bit of speghetti out for a treat and some mealworm and they left most of it, so for me they must be getting enough foraging and in the morning but the sparrows were down on the mealworm quicker then that lol (fat sparrows).

Its funny isnt it why they wont eat pellets. Daft birds lol, but the eggs are worth it.

[freebirdy]

Try to find some growers mash. They may prefer the mash as it's powdery and if you can find growers it will help them gain weight nicely. If you can get them to eat it you can keep them on growers forever! If they're "picky" girls best to err on the safe side and keept them on a food with a higher degree of nutrients in it (growers) so they will get more goodenss with a bit less food if they are so fussy!

[Pony Girl]

Thank you both, that's reassuring advice and I'm all for one on erring on the side of caution. I'd much rather go against the text books that say cut out all treats and only feed pellets, rather than have to go through the shock of finding another little skeleton!

Growers sounds like a good idea. Just wanted to know that I'm not causing them any real harm. Obviously I will keep a good eye on them, and don't want them going to the other extreme and getting fat.

No eggs for me at the mo - as favorelle and little pekin haven't come into lay yet, while Flo just going through the moult and not expecting her to start again til the spring. They'll certainly be the most expensive eggs going!!

[helens-hens]

I agree that the most important thing is to get your hens eating.

One thing I would say though (and I am more than prepared to be corrected if I am wrong) is that your hens will be coming into lay at some point if they are 17 weeks + and you need to make sure they are getting the right nutrition for that (layers pellets) or you could start to get problems in that department too.

[joyfull]

please check that the growers is not medicated - otherwise you will have to throw the eggs away 

[helens-hens]

I agree that the most important thing is to get your hens eating.

One thing I would say though (and I am more than prepared to be corrected if I am wrong) is that your hens will be coming into lay at some point if they are 17 weeks + and you need to make sure they are getting the right nutrition for that (layers pellets) or you could start to get problems in that department too.

I have just read a post by Freebirdy on a nother thread (title 'very worried') about being advised that it is OK to carry on with growers even if hens are laying - I must admit I hadn't heard that so please ignore my post above!

[Pony Girl]

Thanks, Helen, I'll certainly bear that in mind.

I'm not expecting Floss (the little pekin) to come into lay until spring next year if she is anything like the other pekin bantams I've known. Flo was hatched in spring 2009 and didn't start laying until April 2010, even though she was sold as point of lay but apparently they do take longer than other breeds.

I'm hoping that Bella (favorelle) might start laying soon if she's okay though part of me's convinced now that she's a dud chicken and will never lay. She was hatched this spring apparently and the breeder was surprised that she hasn't started laying yet so I don't know if it's a sign there may be something more seriously wrong with her.

[stan deakin]

i have spilled a bit of water on to the pellets at times and noticed they will go for the wet pellets first , you will never soss them out , murder arnt they

Deak