Unsecure chicken perches

[mad_hen_lady]

My 3 chooks really don't seem to like layers pellets. They eat very little of it compared to mash. Should I be worried?

Edited October 23, 2011 by Guest

[Christian]

If they were fed mash before, it will take them a few days to get used to the pellets. They won't starve and will eat them when they are hungry

 

Welcome to the forum by the way.

[snowberry]

Perhaps they just prefer or are used to the consistancy of mash. Why not carry on giving them mash on a cold morning & offer pellets later? Or the other way around!

[Patricia W]

When I have new ex-bats who only know mash, I start them on it and then gradually mix in pellets increasing the pellet balance over a period of about 4-6 weeks. They switch quite easily this way

[chestnutmare]

When I have new ex-bats who only know mash, I start them on it and then gradually mix in pellets increasing the pellet balance over a period of about 4-6 weeks. They switch quite easily this way

Agreed. Mine are fussy madams and when using new food I had to gradually introduce it to their old stuff.

[Kazzy73]

I find if my girls being fussy and not eating their pellets I add a bit of water to them and let them go soggy they woof them ,when cold mornings I add warm water or warm milk, they love it and I know thet are having their quota of layers pellets for the day.

[mad_hen_lady]

Thank you for all that advice. Is mash more expensive than pellets in the long-run?

[Purplemaniacs]

I'm not sure about the cost difference if any but I know some people think mash is messier than pellets. Like others have said I gradually changed my ex batts to pellets over a number of weeks as that is what I feed my other girls on.

 

Chrissie

[calmbreeze]

ours wouldn't eat them as they came from a farm who feed only corn. we were told to mix them with yoghurt (fat free value from tesco 28p for 4 largish pots) - not too much enough to made a covering, they loved the yoghurt so had to eat the pellets too. gradually we put in less and less yoghurt till it was just the pellets. we use this trick for worming too as they wont eat verm-x pellets. either yoghurt, mash potato or porridge with the wormer mixed it and down it all goes - bingo!

[The Dogmother]

mine are alternated on either pellets or mash just to keep them on their toes. They are under no illusion though that if they don't eat their layers feed then there's nowt else in the offing.