Single hen

[Rhoderunner]

My three chickens aged about 1 year are just not interested in their layers pellets. I always make sure they have a full supply and fresh water. But as they are free range all day, they just seem to ignore the food. Can they survive on what they find in the garden? Or should I try a different brand of pellets? They go crazy for s"Ooops, word censored!"s in the afternoon!

[Egluntyne]

Why not confine them to their run for part or all of the morning so that they have to eat them, and then allow the free ranging later in the day.

 

That way they will get the best of both worlds, nutritionally speaking.

[Rhoderunner]

Why not confine them to their run for part or all of the morning so that they have to eat them, and then allow the free ranging later in the day.

 

That way they will get the best of both worlds, nutritionally speaking.

 

That's what I thought. But my children hate to see them locked up so we always let them out. We're going away for a couple of days, so they'll be locked up in their run and will eat the pellets then I hope!

[Groovychook]

I keep my girls in the run until about 1pm so that the can tuck into their pellets and I can get on with some work before I supervise them free ranging.

I do have to avoid eye contact until the afternoon though because the emotional blackmail is unbearable!!

[cherryblossom]

Mine didn't seem to be eating the pellets, so I stopped s"Ooops, word censored!"s until they started to eat the pellets again. Seems to have worked.

[Rhoderunner]

Thank you for all the replies. As I type the chickens are all at my back door screeching for me to feed them. And I KNOW their pellet trays are full! I'm going to go out with some s"Ooops, word censored!"s, put it in their run and cage them back in and hopefully they will have to eat the pellets then!

[chelsea]

I am going through this phase also at the moment. Mine have all come off their winter break and into full laying so they are hungry, despite having full grubs they are screeching like they are starving .....I am trying to hold fire and stand my ground by keeping them in but its hard as they make so much noise and letting them out shuts them up.

 

Try keeping them in as suggested...its hard but they have to learn!

[Rhoderunner]

Thanks for the reply. It's sooooooooooo good to know I'm not the only one with this problem. I feel like such a meanie. And I want my hens to love me! This is harder than getting a toddler to eat their greens! I just don't want them to starve.

[chelsea]

they are crafty little so and so's though . How can they be starving with full grubs!

 

We will not put up with this unruly behaviour

[Rhoderunner]

Oh my gosh they are SCREAMING

I'm worried the neighbours will send round the RSPCA...

[Egluntyne]

Don't let them see you. They'll shut up if they don't realise you are there.

[Rhoderunner]

Too late. I gave in. And they jumped on me as I let them out. But they had laid me two eggs

 

I will be strong tomorrow and keep them in until they eat.

 

What is wrong with layer pellets? Is there something else I could try? Could it be to do with where I position the grub? It's just below head height at the moment.