Laura & CTB Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Hi Have had Prada and Gucci for a week now and although I am feeding them the same make of pellets they were being given, they dont seem very interested. BUT.....when I mix them with some warm water there's this feeding frenzy happens What's going on I dont get it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CannyCat Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Hi Have had Prada and Gucci for a week now and although I am feeding them the same make of pellets they were being given, they dont seem very interested. BUT.....when I mix them with some warm water there's this feeding frenzy happens What's going on I dont get it I think a lot of chickens prefer "mash" to pellets - maybe the hot water makes them more mash-y? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleHen Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Sometimes they just take some time to get used to new surroundings - my two didn't eat much to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernexiled Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Sometimes they just take some time to get used to new surroundings - my two didn't eat much to start with. Agree with Jackie - when i transferred mine from mash to pellets did it gradually and they picked out the pellets as I ran out of food they had no choice now they refuse to eat anything smaller than pellets ........no pleasing some chickens Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted October 6, 2006 Author Share Posted October 6, 2006 I've got a bag of mash on order (the whole world seems to have run out) to see of they prefer it to the pellets. Meanwhile I've just left them to it - all day with only the pellets to eat. I know they must be eating some, just doesn't seem very many that's all. (Yes, Yes here she goes again worrying about nothing) ..........sorry everyone - new chicken mommy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cute-chickens Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 Hi Laura: We had exactly the same problem with our girls. They were Omlet-raised and came with a supply of pellets - but they were not at all keen. Most of the pellets ended up on the floor of the run, they just turfed them out of the grub feeder (like they were looking for something better buried under them). After about 3 weeks we went to a local farm shop and bought a small pack of organic layers mash. Well - we've never looked back. They weren't laying regularly before but suddenly we got an egg each a day from each of them. They also haven't had a day off (laying) since - and the eggs get better and better. . We give them plenty of treats through the day and before bed-time so it's not that they are really hungry - they just enjoy their hot breakfast. I know it's a little more work to make the mash hot each morning but they are there waiting for it - their beaks into the feeder before its even hung on the run - so we feel it's worth the effort. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 .... they just enjoy their hot breakfast.... Hot!!! You give them hot porridge! What lucky chooks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted October 10, 2006 Author Share Posted October 10, 2006 I know it's a little more work to make the mash hot each morning but they are there waiting for it - their beaks into the feeder before its even hung on the run - so we feel it's worth the effort. Wow - that's dedication cute-chickens I'll have to work up to that one - at the moment I can just about stumble out the back door at 6am to open the eglu door - one day i'm probably gonna forget to put my wellies on first Anyway, I'm collecting the bag of mash today so one step at a time eh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 I don't get our girls up til between 7 & 8 am. May even leave it later as winter draws in, surely it must still be dark at 6 at this time of year? We make a batch of potato peel and pellet mash (with oyster shell, grit, crushed eggshells and assorted fruit and kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s) we give half warm at bedtime and keep the rest in the fridge for their brekky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted October 11, 2006 Author Share Posted October 11, 2006 I don't get our girls up til between 7 & 8 am. May even leave it later as winter draws in, surely it must still be dark at 6 at this time of year? Yes - it is very dark at 6am but that's when I have to leave to go to work.....so far the chooks have been coming out at that time except for yesterday when it was raining hard. Although they wouldn't get wet under their nice run cover they obviously decided it was a good day for a lie in Got the mash yesterday and gave them a dishful when I got home at 3pm - they ate like they had never eaten before Guess I'll have to start the warm porridge thing soon Now I've got a huge, barely touched, bag of pellets - maybe someone can come up with a nice recipe for them - maybe a Christmas cake that has lots of nice spices in it to disguise the basic ingredient.............. I could then give them to all my friends for Christmas.save me a fortune (sorry- am going for a lie down now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 11, 2006 Share Posted October 11, 2006 I'm sure I have commented on this before....senior moment.....! My girls didn't like the Omlet pellets. They turfed them out onto the floor where they very quickly became extremely smelly. I was forever brushing them up in case my resident rat got a taste for them. They now have Golden Yolk Layers Pellets for no better reason than that is what my nearest animal fees stockist supplys.(Or is it supplies!) They absolutely LOVE them and I have to fill both Grubs to the brim daily...sometimes twice. They also have mixed corn and numerous treats and they free range whenever possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabbagepatch Posted October 11, 2006 Share Posted October 11, 2006 my girls don't like the omlet pellets either, they seem to be holding out for treats. this seems to be a recurrent problem here....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted October 11, 2006 Share Posted October 11, 2006 My chooks can't get enough of anything put infront of them! I never thought my chooks would be so greedy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted October 11, 2006 Author Share Posted October 11, 2006 Ah but Martin - my chooks are allowed to be choosy - they are designer chooks after all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine C Posted October 11, 2006 Share Posted October 11, 2006 Now I've got a huge, barely touched, bag of pellets - maybe someone can come up with a nice recipe for them - maybe a Christmas cake that has lots of nice spices in it to disguise the basic ingredient.............. You can also pour some hot water on the pellets to make a 'porridge' too. Did this for my girls when I first got them as the pellets didn't seem to go down very quickly. Now they are spoilt and wait for it when they get up but they also now tuck into the pellets during the day too as well as having a variety of 'treats' when I get back from work. Chooks can be choosy. After the omlet pellets had finished I got some very cheap ones from a local animal feed place which they loved, thrived on and gave me lots of lovey big eggs during the summer. Now back to the organic more expensive pellets and not so keen and both egg production and size gone done. Although, that may be down to the time of year - this is my first year chook keeping so don't know. But look forward to seeing a spicy pellet christmas cake receipe soon:) E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triphazard99 Posted October 11, 2006 Share Posted October 11, 2006 Mine didn't like the pellets either, but it took me a while to realise how skinny they were getting. Fortunately they free range all day too, else I'd probably have got up one morning to find three little chook skeletons I switched them over to mash, and tried both dry and wet mash - they prefer the dry to be honest, and I have to refill the grub holder every other day. When the pellets were in it it never seemed to get empty.... I also bought some poultry corn to help boost their weight, but now they are looking a little sleeker they are restricted to a handful a day to liven up their afternoon scavenging. I have started to throw a handful of pellets back in with the mash, just to use them up, and they do seem to eat them if there's only a few in there. Sophie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 I've given in too. Maisy had virtually stopped eating the pellets, and I'd been giving them pellet-porridge just to get her to eat something. Then she started refusing this too, and because she's moulting as well I was getting really worried about her. She was very skinny and eating no food to mention. Finally I gave in and we got some mash as an experiment. She took to it instantly, and seems to go on a feeding frenzy from the time she gets up in the morning: she's at the peanut most times I look at her. She's started laying again too, even though she's still moulting! I'd just opened a whole new sack of lovely organic pellets as well! For the first few days Matilda still preferred the pellets, but I've noticed she's going over to the mash now too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
