Chooks not eating enough, losing weight

[armadillo]

I've had them for 10 days,and they still seem lively and normal, but they will not eat the amount of layers pelletsgthat they're supposed to.
The lady I bought them from was very emphatic that they should not get mixed corn or other treats unless they eat all the pellets they are supposed to,otherwise they are not getting a balanced diet- I didn't stick to this at first but have only given pellets for the last few days,
Now they're all feeling rather bony! Has anyone else had this problem with new chooks? Maybe I should just give them corn mix anyway to fatten them up? I tried to contact the breeder today but have not heard back from her yet.

[JILLY JACKSON]

hi armadillo,i got the same advice but did like you did,mine wont eat those revolting pellets either they know what they like!So i make a mash with a few pellets,corn,meal worms and potato (boiled)I put in a little poultry spice and they eat that cos the're spoiled rotten and now lay eggs still, but fewer.Dont think many would approve but we're happy.

[Stacey Steve]

I get my eggs from a fellow at the allotments and they are the healthiest looking chickens on site and produce wonderful eggs.

He gives his a mix of grated potato, carrots and cabbage leaves each morning, pasta lunchtime and leaves them to eat as much corn mix as they wish, he won't use pellets, he wants to know what they are getting and doesn't trust the commercial companies. It reflects in his eggs and evidentially they are good layers as well.

[Kristen]

Ours [about 10-15 weeks old] love left over soft fruit - strawbs, raspbugs and grapes that have gone a bit mushey and us lot won't eat!

[armadillo]

Right, home-made mash it is then! I suppose it's to the chook seller's advantage to sell the bags of pellets. I thought I remembered the chooks we had when I was little mostly living on mash made out of cooked peelings,leftovers & corn.
I think they are going to be very happy girls as of now on their new tasty diet!
Thanks all

[Hilary B]

Just ensure that they are getting enough soluble grit (oyster shell usually) or you will end up with eggs with fragile shells (usually get a few anyway, but if it is happening a lot, you need to give them shell-making supplements)

[JILLY JACKSON]

Let us know how it goes armadillo,lots of us have had that problem as i said will be interested in any new foods they may like.Photo's?

[pipscariad]

You've all made me feel a bit guilty! I only give my hens layers pellets, plus odd bits and bobs like raisins, pasta etc - although they seem to genuinely enjoy the pellets (organic) and guzzle them at an amazing rate! That said, I do want to give them corn, but haven't been able to find a supplier of small amounts of organic corn round here yet (I only have three chooks, so don't want to fork out for a huge sack).

I remember when I had bantams when I was about 10, we used to make up mash with peelings and corn - I loved that smell! (Although most people seem to think it stinks!!)

Good luck with the 'plumping up' process - I didn't like to put 'fattening up' as it sounds a bit ominous!

[Birdie Wife]

Mine only get layers pellets too, don't feel guilty! They are formulated to give all the nutrients needed by laying hens. If I fed them anything else, I'd be worried they would miss out on something. For me, it's just peace of mind. The hens might not like them much as much as their treats but that's tough love!!

[OverWyreGrower]

Mine get layers pellets too! They get them first thing in a morning when we let them out.

They get their "treats" in an afternoon/evening when I get back from work. Usually a handful of mixed corn, a cut up apple or some peely-bits

[armadillo]

I wish mine would eat all their pellets, they just refuse to, no matter how early they get them- I'm talking 4.30 am here!
The corn/linseed mix I have for them has oyster shell in it, and they love eating that. They also seem to eat some of the sand in their dustbath. And they really want to eat my bead bracelet and rings, toes and sandal buckles.
Having camera-computer software problems, but will try to put on some pics when I sort them out.
I shall be making up a veg/pasta thing for them now, they've already had some soggy stawberries; let the plumping up begin!

[Hilary B]

Chooks need insoluble grit as well. It makes up for not having teeth. Something coarser than ordinary sand, but finer than gravel (even the small sort) is ideal.

greens, grit (2 kinds) and grain are the essentials.
Layer's pellets make 'getting enough of everything' easy, but never let anyone tell you they are the ONLY way to feed a blanced diet!

[kirsty b]

Have you thought of layers mash instead of pellets? THe first lot I had wouldn't eat pellets so I changed and they loved it. The flock I have now have just started having pellets as they just flicked mash about and made mess. They do love their treats too though.

[Hilary B]

Mash (in the sense of a finely ground feed) has a lot of advantages. You can use it to make a 'wet mash', which can incorporate all the cooked extras you might fancy offering (cooked veg, pasta etc), but DON'T leave a wet feed around if they leave any. It is also relatively easy to offer in a home-made hopper-feeder (pellets don't always work in the home-made ones).
Thought crosses my mind that maybe there is something 'odd' in the taste of the pellets. Could they be stale or tainted? (you might not notice something that could put off chooks).

[djhs196]

My girls only get treats in the afternoon, by which time I expect them to have had "enough" layers pellets but I don't measure.

I know tho that they don't like a change of diet and if you do so, it should be done gradually. Could it be that you're feeding them a different layers pellet than the one that they are used to?

It's easy to switch - you introduce and build up the portions of the new brand etc.

How much are you expecting them to eat by the way?

If memory serves me right, a single chicken gets through 150 grams of "stuff" per day with the crop holding only about 100 grams. For two chickens I used to go through a bag of pellets in 3 months, which works out at them eating 111 grams per day. If free-ranging for the day, they eat less pellets and more from the garden