should i change to pellets?

[angelat]

hi all

well my girls still not laying but have noticed my speckledy's comb is getting more upright and red? they don't eat much of their layers mash, have stopped giving them grapes, corn on cobs (they go crazy for) in the morning, to make them eat the mash, but interested in looking for insects etc?

do you think i should try pellets, don't want to get a big bag if they are not going to eat those either!!

think actually they are thoroughly spoilt and if they were hungry surely they would eat the mash?

any advice. thanx

angela

[vicky]

I think the mash and pellets are the same thing in different forms so changing would not make any difference to laying. Pellets are less messy but mash is more time consuming to eat (less boredom).
You could try only giving treats in the afternoon as they should have eaten their mash quota by then.
How old are they? Some breeds don't mature till much later.
They sound healthy tho - I wouldn't worry, it will happen when they're ready!

[Snadger]

Mine are spoilt also, but I didn't start spoiling them until they started laying.
I have 10 hens one is broody and the others are all laying regularily up til now. They are on pellets but as been said mash is mash is just the same stuff. Mine get two handfulls of mixed corn between all of them per day (just to get them away from the door so I can get in to clean coop)!
Odd sweetcorn and a dozen cabbage leaves per day is all the treats they get.
Oh yes, and an additive to their water with extra minerals!

I would cut out the treats until they are laying then gradually reintroduce them if you must. Keep giving greeenery though as this is good for them and helps to give a nice yellow yolk when they start laying.

[digthatchick]

Personally I would give them pellets, a small bag (5 kilo) of organic pellets is about £4.95 and no treats until afternoon. My Speckys took a while to lay, but if the comb is getting more upright and red you're not far away.

[di]

I think also it doesn't make any difference whether you give pellets or mash.Ours started of on mash & we gradually got them onto pellets as we found there was less waste.However we'vejust reverted back to mash for a while.(we've been given almost every lottie holders small spuds to boil up for the chooks & it's easier to mix these with mash than pellets.Also I think come winter I'll be able to make a warm porridge like breakfast for them....But no..they're not spoilt!!)
I'm sure your's will start to lay soon.~it's worse than being a kid waiting for christmas!!Seems to take forever!!It'll happen!

[MaureenHall]

Give pellets, there's less wastage and mess than with mash, and it's all the same formula too. The pellets can still be moistened to give a mash if the change is a bit too much. Like Snadger says, lay off the treats till they're laying but give greens, not just for the lovely deep yellow egg yolks, but it's full of vitamins and minerals as well