A chickychickychick-ENN!! Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 The coup is clean, they were wormed a month before Christmas on flubenvet, no sign of red mite, still interested and chatting and wandering around and laying four good eggs a day (there are four of them), no obvious external signs of ill health that I can see, but for the past five or so days, they're just not eating their pellets. I normally give them a full fruitbowl's worth a day, and sometimes in cold weather, they need an extra quarter of that. I last filled up fully on Friday, they had had some on Saturday but there were still a lot left. Sunday, I still didn't need to top them up, and today I didn't either. It's deep snow out. Inside the coup is warm. They're drinking water from what I can see. But they're not eating. Any ideas why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 well, the obvious question is, are you giving them lots of treats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A chickychickychick-ENN!! Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 No. Hardly anything. I'm quite tight on treats so they stay healthy. A small handful of mealworms a couple of times a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Odd. Is someone topping up the pellets when you aren't looking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A chickychickychick-ENN!! Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 No. It's just me and my dog. And my OH. He does the dog, I do the chickens. It IS odd though isn't it? They don't look manky or ill or off-colour, they're just having a bit of a supermodel diet time. Because there's not a lot of weight to a chicken, I'm a little concerned in case they start wasting away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 do the pellets smell musty or 'off'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A chickychickychick-ENN!! Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 No. They're so fresh I could eat them. Brand new sack from the ever reliable Ben in Teston. I store my pellets indoors in a bin. They're not exposed to anything funny. Their water is plain tap water with a dash (1-2 tablespoons?) of cider vinegar to a 3-4 litre drinker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 When mine went off the pellets, I gave them some warm pellet mash (does that make sense?!) & they wolfed it back. I've stuck with that as the winter has progressed, a bowl at breakfast & a bowl for tea with a few sultanas & a sprinkling of corn in. And if it's particularly cold, like it has been over the last week or so (have you noticed ) they get a small bowl at lunchtime too. They always have a part grub of pellets in the run too, and they do nibble on them, especially if they can't free-range. Hope this helps, it is a worry when they don't appear to eat isn't it? Worse than children Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A chickychickychick-ENN!! Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 I take it they know what they're doing, but being chickens, they can be dim, so I'm a little worried. I don't know where to get mash locally. It's a pellet area. Anyone know anywhere in Kent for mash? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 If you can't get mash, just soak some pellets, it all ends up the same soggy mess! Pellets & mash are apparently the same stuff, just the mash isn't formed into pellets. Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A chickychickychick-ENN!! Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 A ha. Cunning. I will give it a go Sha. Thanks for that. A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
