JackieandMike Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Hi, Got my 4 lovely chooks yesterday and I was told they would eat one feeder full of pellets between them in a day. So far they have hardly touched them. Is this normal whilst they settle in or should I be worried. They have eaten some corn on the cob and a bit of marmite on toast but not touched the pellets. Any suggestions please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Very normal not to eat much initially, firstly due to settling in and their eating really increases when they start laying - I full grub would still last my 3 nearer 2+ days, but they are free-ranging most of the time. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 they will they take a while to settle in, they may be used to mash and my four certainly don't get thru a grubful a day (they are greedy fat chickens ) they'll be fine....promise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I'll concur with the previous posts... our two seemed to have that first grub full of feed for ages.... you just wait til they start laying lol.... Make sure you don't give them too many alternatives early on in the day so that what little appetite they do have is sated by the pellets ensuring a balanced diet ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Mine didnt eat much initially, treats only after about 3pm here to encourage them to fill up on mash first. They go through a grub about every 2 days now but only 1 laying so far! Your lucky yours ate anything else , mine wouldn't touch treats for couple of weeks. Today i tried raw brocolli for first time in 5 weeks and they are still ignoring it, and i went out especially to get it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 is the broc strung up for them to peck at? mine won't touch it if it's not hanging just above their heads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 yep strung up on the end of run with wood chip so they are sitting down the other end lol away from the alien gren monster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewandcarly Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 none of my 6 will entertain brocolli or cabbage, strung up or on a plate! they love rice and pasta though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Hi Jackie & Mike, Don't worry. Before they lay they don't eat much, then it goes through the roof. I have 4 hens as well. An Omlet grub feeder full to the top would last 2 and a half days and mine are laying. If you look on the back of the layers pellets it will say something like 120g per day - so if you weigh out 480g of pellets and put them in the grub you'll get an idea of what they will eat once they are laying. But they will eat less before they lay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. When they come into lay their appetites will increase massively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 One of mine is laying and the other hasnt started,but despite myself not actually seeing them eat-when i gently rub their crops in late afternoon-i can feel pellets inside. They're sneeky i tell ya! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I hung veg up early on and they just totally ignored it - it was only when we went away for a weekend and I but some brocolli in the run to entertain they actually realised it was food - but once they started they now always eat it. This week I gave them a pecker block - they just avoid that part of the run and the alien object the mad human has put in there! Chickens do and eat what chickens want - but that's why we love them really.. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I caught a couple of woodlice for mine this afternoon. They looked at them but then ran away - I think it was because - they MOVED!! eeerrrrggghhhhh!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckov Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 I put bricks upside down underneath and around a bush near the run. Every couple of days, I marshal the girls over and lift up the bricks - they feast on all the insects that are hiding underneath, today it was a load of red ants!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...