4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[barmaid2011]

Hello

 

I posted a few weeks ago to say I was hoping to get some chooks - now I have!!

 

I collected 3 Light Sussex on Sunday (chickens on Easter Sunday - how cool is that?). They are 18-19 weeks old.

 

I bought a bag of food (layer pellets) from where I got them because I thought that would be what they are used to.

 

I was advised to give them 100g each per day. I put the food down yesterday morning - they ate a bit and then left it. This morning I put down half the amount (with the intention of giving them lunch). They've eaten a little bit again and left it.

 

They've picked over the bottom of their coop so it's just earth and seem quite happy scratching around but I am very worried that they are not eating enough.

 

Can anyone suggest anything to encourage them to eat more food?

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Patricia W]

Are they used to mash rather than layers pellets? Or it may simply be a brand they aren't used to. Frankly, if they are looking well and behaving normally in other ways, I wouldn't worry.

[barmaid2011]

Yes, the food is the same as they were having. They've also got grit down as well and loads of fresh water.

 

They look fine tbh. I am just a neurotic new mum.

[Duncan08]

We got the Omlet layers pellets for our girls when we got the girls, then I ordered another 2 bags when I ordered my extra Glug and Grub. Locally we can get layers pellets for half the price, but they don't look (to me) as appealling as the Omlet ones. My Uncle got these for me, and to be honest I have always found his girls egg shells to be very thin. So I do think there is something in getting what you pay for in the layers pellets. (Our girls lay wonderfully strong eggs on the Omlet feed) Anyway, we have mixed in some of the "cheap-no pun intended" with the others and the girls are eating both.

I am afraid that we break all the rules though. Hubby gets them up in the morning with a bowl of mixed veg, (Our local farm shop has started giving us s"Ooops, word censored!"s) they do say that you should let them fill up on the layers pellets for egg production each day before giving them treats.

I give them some probiotic yoghurt with oats mixed in as a lunchtime treat, and they always get the left over veg after dinner. Last night mashed potato and peas - went down a treat!

I have been digging a lot lately in the garden and often throw them the odd worm which gets them very excited.

When I do the big weekly clean out, I mix some corn into their pellets - that might help to get them interested?

And meal worms - the girls would do anything for meal worms, why not try mixing a few of those in with the pellets to get them interested?

Another thing I find is that the girls prefer to eat out of the purple grub rather than the yellow Go feeder. I have no idea why, I always move the feeders about so it isn't the position.

 

We have never really weighed out the food, just fill/ top it up during the week and refresh once a week completely.

[Tweety]

Presumably they are too young to be laying yet? You will find that they eat a lot more when they do start laying and, in the meantime, as long as they are behaving normally, pooing ok, and drinking, I wouldn't worry too much about how much they are eating. I wouldn't give them any treats though, otherwise they will ignore their pellets and wait for the treats!

[Chucky Mama]

They won't eat as much as you expect when they are not laying. Also if they are pecking around in the earth they will be distracted a little too. They should start eating more when they come into lay and settle down. As long as they have fresh food and clean drinking water available I wouldn't worry too much. You could make a rod for your own back offering treats and different brands of food at this stage. If you are really worried you can moisten the pellets into a mash with warm water which often gets them going.

[kerryegg]

I agree if they are well don't worry. Mine tend to eat the layers pellets in the late afternoon rather than morning so I just give them treats and veg when I like rather than expect them to fill up on layers first. Morning is time to scrat around in the run, I don't know what they find but they are always eating. Welcome to the world of worrying about chooks ( usually in my experience unnecessarily ).

[barmaid2011]

Thanks all. You've put my mind to rest. They are still a little young (and one appears to be far younger than the others, she hardly has any red on her at all yet). Marge (the oldest one - I'm guessing this because her comb seems much bigger and redder than the other two ) looks like she might be thinking of considering laying because she keeps investigating the nest box. However, that could just be that she is very very nosy (I only have to put my hand on the door handle to go outside and she's up at the edge of the coop saying "hello").

 

I'll stick with the pellets for another day or so and if they are not interested, I'll make up a mash as helpfully suggested.

 

But thanks for the advice to a very very newbie!!!

[taz1967]

We got 2 light Sussex on Easter weekend too. And ours too did not eat much if anything. Our food was in an Omlet Grub..... That was the problem. They were only use to eating off the gorund or out of one of those metal food containers that all chicken farms seem to have. Lucky for us we had one so put food into that and hey presto. They eat, and they eat well.

 

Our only problem is putting them in with the original 4 Omlet hens......

 

We have put them in for a 10min period and christ did they go for the new girls. took them out and done same again later that afternoon for 10 mins. exactly the same. Today we put them in and left them to it. feathers everywhere. had to spray the new girls with anti-pecking spray which seems to do the trick but the other giels just go in with claws now instead of beak. we left them in for an hour and it was mayhem on and off.

 

Whats the trick for introducing the new girls in to the orignal flock. I know there is going to be fights but hell, that was like watching tyson in the ring............

 

Gary

[Tweety]

Hi Gary,

 

You really need to read the information about introductions in the FAQs about chickens. I know that some people tell you just to chuck the new girls in with the old, and let them sort it out, but I have found that to introduce them gradually and slowly is much the best way.