Fussy eaters

joschooks · **Joined:** Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:13 am **Posts:** 3

Hi,
Newbie here. I have 2 chooks, but for the past few months only 1 is laying and both have gone off their food. I give them a pellet/ grain mix, which they have always had for over a year. Neither will eat the pellets and only sporadically pick at the grains. So they feed manly on food scraps and free range in the garden....
Help please,
Jo

Raf · **Posted:** Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 pm

What brand of pellet and grain mix are you using? Have you tried another brand?

Raf

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

joschooks wrote:

So they feed manly on food scraps and free range in the garden....
Help please,
Jo

I think chookies are like kids, they rather fill up on things other than what they should eat.

My girls have both Barastoc's Darling Layer Down's and either Red Hen or Peter's free range mixes depending what's available at our local stockfeed, the pellets are always left last!

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Oh, I forgot, have you wormed the chooks since you got them?

joschooks · **Joined:** Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:13 am **Posts:** 3

Thanks for your replies, yes they are wormed regularly.
Not sure what brand of grain mix I buy, whatever the supplier has. I think I did change it some time ago, could that be the reason?? Will they ever go back to eating the tonnes of mix that I have?
I might try doing a big spring clean of everything, including feeder....

Again, thanks for your help. There's lots of good info here.

Jo

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

How old were your girls when you first got them? Maybe they were having a growth spurt and ate a lot during that period?

Experiment with cutting down on the food scraps and treats and see if they eat more chook feed.

Have you dusted them and the coop for mites and lice?

Carol NZ · **Joined:** Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:12 pm **Posts:** 4792

Changing brands can be a bad thing for your hens and even though the pellets may look the same they quite often smell and taste very different so when you find one they like best to stick with that brand and just add a few extras if you want

joschooks · **Joined:** Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:13 am **Posts:** 3

I have spent the day spring cleaning the coop,with a weak vinegar solution then sun dried, big yard clean up, new feeder and even put a perch in for them..... Maybe too many changes??
Wasn't aware I shouldn't change the feed, so I'll watch and try new ones till we get it right, as they really don't like the current one.
Thanks for the info.
Jo

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