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[Susie923]

Hi, I'm a brand new (10-day old) chicken owner and I've experiencing problems getting my re-homed ex-battery hens (a) to eat crumb (which the British Hen Welfare Trust recommends using) or pellets (which they didn't recognise initially but now eat reluctantly). They will eat any mash I make for them - which I started doing in desperation after a few days of not feeding - but even though I feed them nothing but pellets and crumb in the morning, by the evening they're clearly ravenous.

 

What should I do? An added problem is that they'll eat the pellets if I scatter them on the ground but ignore the feeders completely. Am I being too soft? Is it a question of let them starve until they work it out? Help!

 

Thanks for any advice!

[Redwing]

as they are newly out of the cage then I'd see if you can get a 5kg bag of layers mash which they will recognise

 

Feed it dry - dont go mixing it up or they'll have you over a barrell

 

After a week or so on that I'd start mixing the crumb in then later the pellets till eventually they are on just pellets (if thats what your long term feed choice is - they can stay on mash or crumb if necessary)

 

Whatever you decide they wont starve themselves and will eat if you dont give in however as they are newly rescued and you are new to it too it will probably less stressful all round to buy them the layers mash that they are used to then move them off that gradually

[Susie923]

Thanks, Tasha - I'll try that! Susie