Unsecure chicken perches

[ste]

We picked up 3 ex-batts on Saturday. We've got a sack of the ex-batt feed that they recommended and it's in the eglu grub feeders.

 

I don't think they even recognise that there's food in them! Even if you sprinkle some around they don't seem to take to it but if you put in some corn or almost anything else they jump on it.

 

Anyone know how to get them eating from the feeders or what else to try food wise?

 

Thanks

[Pharaoh]

I have had my ex-batts since Monday night and it is really just today that they have all started feeding from the grubs. I did sprinkle some on the ground but they prefer to peck at the grass. I would be patient for a bit longer!

[Mercedes55]

Mine won't feed from the Grubs either. They are fine with the Glugs as they can see the water, but with the Grubs it's like they have to almost put their heads into it to reach the food. I have pinched one of my dog's heavy ceramic bowls and used that for their food and they are fine. As long as the bowl is heavy they won't tip it over and it might help to raise it slightly off the ground so that they don't flick dirt or wood chips into it.

[ste]

I'll give it another day then and if they're still not taking to the grubs then looks like i'll be off to get a dog bowl or two

[Falkor]

A heavy oven dish or similar would be fine too.

 

As previously mentioned above I think it is the fact that they have to put their heads into the grub to feed that puts them off. Although TBH I wonder if they even consider the fact that there is food in them at all.

 

They are going through a major life adjustment in these first few days out of the cage so everything is new and very different to what they have known before. Give them some time and they will settle into a normal chook routine in no time.

[cooker]

our ex batts would't eat the ex batt pellets for ages, in fact nugget still isn't great with pellets, have you tried ex batt crumb?

 

rachel

[Mercedes55]

our ex batts would't eat the ex batt pellets for ages, in fact nugget still isn't great with pellets, have you tried ex batt crumb?

 

rachel

 

I now have 4 types of feed, layers mash, layers pellets, ex batts crumbs and mixed corn and out of all of them they love the ex batts crumbs the most

[ste]

Well, we've mixed up some corn with the crumbs and put some in a dog bowl and they're going for it now.

 

They also now use the grub, such a turn-around. We raised it up a couple of rungs which seemed to help as it was more in their eye-line presumably

 

All good

[spj20016]

My Ex batts don't seem to use the grubs either, Ive put a pyrex dish out at the moment. How many rungs up have you got the grubs?

[Pharaoh]

I don't think it matters in the end what height they are. I just stick them in and in fact today did not bother to fill the grubs and they have survived. I did buy one of these feed poles and put on a lettuce but the bossy one would not let the others near it. She took a while of pecking the grass all round it before she pecked the lettuce.

[Pharaoh]

After almost weeks, I have found that the Ex-batts food is being eaten, either from the grub or dish on the ground. I just don't put too much in the grub so avoid wastage and they seem to manage.

[Bramble]

It's funny, I've had mu ex-batts for two weeks now and they ate from the grub straight away within minutes of being let into the run, but they haven't got a clue what to do with "stuff" I put in for them to peck at, I've tried broccolli (and let's face it, I can't say I blame them for not eating that ),lettuce, pecka blocks etc but completely clueless, short of demonstrating it to them myself I think they're not going to grasp that trick!

[Pharaoh]

Try hanging corn on the cob off the end off the end of a bamboo pole wedged on to outside of the run. Guaranteed they will play ping pong!!

[Patricia W]

I fed mine mash from a bowl for about 3 weeks and then gradually added pellets and as the amount increased, I switched to the grub. However after about 3 months I've switched them to a plastic feeder with dividers. Basically, they have clipped beaks and were just throwing the pellets out of the grub on to the floor so they could pick them up more easily.

 

Now they are integrated with the rest of the flock, they have a choice- grub or the plastic feeder- and guess what! Yes, they are choosing the grub! So there is now a tin lid beneath it to catch the pellets thrown out.

 

Chickens!

 

Tricia

[Pharaoh]

I can now report after nearly 7 weeks that my ex-batts are good eaters and I will soon be starting on second 20kg bag of food. They feed from the grubs and at times have emptied them.

[Bexibex]

My ex-bats were really good and ate from their grubs immediately. I feed them the ex-bat crumb recommended by BHWT and they absolutely love it. They were not interested in cabbage or apples but absolutely love playing sweetcorn swingball as recommended on this site and adore bowls of porridge oats mixed with water - they go crazy for it. Still trying other things. Cooked pasta was ignored resoundly, as was cucumber. Will keep trying new, interesting things. They do like a a bit of corn in the afternoons, but mealworms are their absolute favourite.

[Mollie333]

Glad to see you all rescuing Ex Batts!

Getting my and ex batts soon

[ste]

Ours too! And they love broccoli too, just goes to show they're all different and fussy, like us lot!