Single hen

[Jennyhenny]

I can't remember seeing any of my three girls eating any Layers Pelletts yesterday and I havent seen them eat any today. Last couple of days they seem quite vocal as well, spoke to neighbours Friday who said they hadnt heard them but spoke to them yesterday and they commented on them shouting

 

Only had the girls a week yesterday up til yesterday they were fine.

 

Any ideas fellow Omletters

 

Thanks in anticipation

 

Jennyhenny

Edited April 13, 2009 by Guest

[Redwing]

If they seem happy and well they are probably holding out for treats, they are like toddlers and will shout for your attention and some nice munchies, little madams!

 

They will cave in, just be sure you don't cave before they do or you will be making a rod for your own back!

[chelsea]

Have you been buying the same brand month after month?

 

I recently changed brands and my girls eat a lot more pellets now - I think like with anything if you eat the same thing over and over again it probably gets a bit boring.

[Jennyhenny]

Chelsea, Only had the girls a week direct from Omlet

 

Jennyhenny

[chelsea]

sorry- didnt realise.

 

I would maybe keep them in the run in the morning before letting them freerange (no treats till late afternoon!). You could maybe try mashing up some pellets with a bit of water to entice them.....

[Falkor]

If the treats have been free flowing them I agree with Tasha, they are just waiting for the good stuff! The vocalness is probably them trying to get your attention for treats. Stay strong! My lot get treats a different times of day and sometimes none at all for a couple of days straight. Sometimes their treat is just pellets with warm water from the kettle. When I was a newbie chook keeper they always got their treats at the same time everyday and if i was even half hour late they let me and the neighbours know!

 

Have they been out of the run yet? Perhaps they want to explore!?

[Guest]

HI Jenny

 

Dont give in..they wont starve themselves...I have been trying to work out how much to give them of layers pellets but the three handfuls i give them in the morning is gone quite quickly.( I dont think it is enough so am reviewing).I usually chuck bread ends in sometime after, and then about 5ish give them some more pellets...(plus any other veg ends i have during the day..mind u they dont always eat it..gave them left over spaghetti and ended up picking it back up when they went to bed)

Sometimes in the morning they are more interested in scratching in the soil than eating their pellets...they have been over the same bit of soil over the past week so am surprised at what they must find interesting or if there are any bugs left.

 

sounds like u may have a cheeky crew on board....

Toddlers united......dont give in to them...

[mostin]

Sounds like typical chook blackmail to me too .

 

They will be getting loads more attention from you than when they were in a big flock at Omlet, and it doesn't matter how much attention or treats you give them, they always want more .

 

Stay strong, if you can give no treats and just give love. They will buckle and eat their pellets in the end .

[Henhathnofury]

They should have access to food all day and yes, they will hold all for any yummy treats you may have coming for them. After all, would children eat cabbage if they had chocolate? I have been blackmailed like this and yes, I had all the crying as well. If you have any bran or chicken spice, you could put some of that into their layers' pellets...it entices them to eat. Or as someone mentioned, put the pellets with warm water.

 

All that said, after nearly two years I changed to layers mash when I had a new chicken who would not eat any pellets. So I gave in really. Most recently I have two new chickens and they all have access to both.

 

Treats are restricted to late afternoon or evening....

[annettec]

I had the same problem with mine once i had started giiving corm mid pm as a treat!

I stopped the corn for a few days but gave them some pellets with warm water in the afternoon and they tucked in nicely, so give the pellets porridge a go to get extra pellets into them !

They are much cleverer than i ever thought

[*mummy_hen*]

My girls HATE pellets. I didn't give in and kept giving them the pellets but was constantly worrying as i never saw them eat anything. After about 2 months i gave in and bought them a bag of mash and they went mental for it and i don't think they stopped eating for about 3 days.

 

My mum who also has chickens had no problem - her girls will eat the pellets just fine.

 

I think some chickens just don't like pellets....well mine definately don't anyway!!!

[Henhathnofury]

...there was also a discussion on here about some smallholders using mash because it reduces pecking in flocks...because it is more interesting for the chickens to have something to sift through. Pellets bore the feathers off them, apparently. I'm not sure what to believe but my girls do love the mash.....

[Jennyhenny]

Thanks for all your replies everyone.

 

Quick Update - Have spent most of the day just watching from French doors, I haven't seen them eat the pelletts at all, they have been scratching at the floor all day (maybe theirs something down there alot more interesting)

 

I haven't given them any treats at all - very hard but determined to do it. Only had them a week and I have three spoilt little monsters I broke Omlets chickens

 

Jennyhenny

[3hens2cats]

Hi,

 

Oh i went through this too.

 

In the end I bought a kg of mash to try them on it and they went mad (flying in the air, shouting) this was a week after we had took delivery. I haven't looked back, they are eating through a grub full of food every two days.

 

I think as a said it may be more interesting, there are lots of different grains in their and mine tend to throw in over the floor and then later come back and scavenge through it (as if they had forgotten they had scattered it).

 

they weren't eating the pellets and I tried the porridge and they turned their beaks up at it.

Mine do free range but they go back in for the mash, and gorge when first let out of the house

 

Treat time is usually about 3.30 (yep when the kids are home from school) they are all standing waiting at the back door too - checky chooks.

 

I was like you I worried as they clearly weren't eating

best of luck

Naomi

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Ditto to all the above . Also, if they're not laying yet, their appetites won't be huge. Wait till they lay, then they'll scoff all their pellets .

[Egluntyne]

Ditto to all the above from me too. Don't waver or they will rule you over this one.

[Jennyhenny]

Probably a stupid question

 

This "mash" fellow Omletters are talking about, do you put it in the Grub the same as you do with the pelletts. Do you have to do anything anything with it

 

Thanks everyone

 

Jennyhenny

[Kalu]

Hi Jennyhenny,

 

I am new to this also, our girls arrived on the 1st April. I was advised by a local chicken eggspert (sorry ) to stick with growers mash for the first few weeks, but that is another story!

 

Mash I understand is purely the same as pellets but flakey, just like a bag of oats but smaller - crumbs I am terrible at describing it! Like pellets but mashed up - think thats about right.

 

I do give them layers pellets porridge most mornings and we had our first egg on Friday! Very exciting! I will prob give them a mix of layers mash and layers porridge when the growers mash has run out......along with their sweetcorn, grapes, mealworm, corn etc etc!

 

K,

[Redwing]

The mash is basically the pellet ingrediants but not made in to pellets

 

Advantages of mash:

 

it can relieve boredom in the run as it takes chooks longer to eat

 

They have fun rooting through it for the best bits mmmmmm!

 

Its often cheaper than pellets

 

Disadvantages:

 

It can be dusty and blow about making a bit of a mess

 

Some chooks will heave it all out of the feeder to get the best bits leaving a mess that *could* feed any resident rodents

[4Clucks-minusOne]

Mine went off pellets too so now have pellet porridge first thing. I mix in oats, a little corn,a little grit and eggshell.

 

The grub is full of dry pellets for them to eat during the day. I've noticed they often pull out pellets and scatter them on the floor then go and eat them once they've swelled up.

 

I suspect we have an army of mice that hoover up any left overs but as we are in a woodland we can't stop them. Last year while we were digging the drive I took a cardboard box with the lunch and some biscuits in. As we were sat having some tea in the afternoon I could hear a scratching/crunching noise. When I lifted the teatowel laying over the box there was a tiny fieldmouse eating a ginger biscuit. I don't know who was more surprised. During the week it got the rest of the packet!

[Chillicat]

Hi - I had mine on a tasting test ......a grub of pellets and a grub of mash.

Mash won !

I now have a huge bag of pellets that I'll be taking to my local RSPCA ...... the girls won't eat it if I make it into porridge!

[Jennyhenny]

Update this morning - Just made them some pellett porridge, they went absolutely stupid when they saw the bowl coming. They must be starving, they have eaten some and now wandered off. Tomorrow when shops open I will pick up a bag of mash and see what happens.

 

Jennyhenny

[chelsea]

I've swapped from pellets over to the Allen & Page ex batt "crumb" and they love it. I dont think my lot are keen on the size of the pellets and they prefer smaller feed.

[Jennyhenny]

Hi all, quick update. We visited a garden centre this morning who sold "Mash" so I bought a small bag. When we got back I noticed Margo in the nest box but nothing else . I put the mash in the glug and the other two went made for it A little later Margo came out and ate too, loving it. Checked the egg box again but nothing While sat in the garden Margo and Popcorn then went into eglu, one of them made an almightly bokkkkking OH told her to shut up Looked in the nest and guess what two eggs

 

So eggcited am going to post this in the egg section now where photos will be

 

Thanks everyone its so reassuring your all out there

 

Jennyhenny

[poachedegg]

2 eggs -