Can anyone recommend layers pellets

[draig]

I have had my 6 blackrock girls for about 2 months. I bought Farmgate layers pellets from a local supplier. They really don’t seem to like them at all, I give just the pellets in the morning but often find them untouched or all over the floor They have a good appetite for any other food but they are now all very thin. Can anyone recommend a layers pellet that they will eat.

[frias]

Perhaps they were fed on layers mash before. Could you ask the person you got them from? My ex-batts were on mash when I got them and I gradually introduced pellets. Now they eat anything.

[Hans Mum]

my ex-batts were a bit unsure at first (not now though) but i did not give them any treats until they were eating properly maybe you need to cut out the other stuff your giving them

[Flummery]

Mine have had Farmgate and another brand (that I now can't remember). Judging from speed of eating I think they prefer the Farmgate. Try it as mash though.

[MaureenHall]

I started my very first ex-batts on Smallholder pellets but as the cost kept going up and up, I changed to Farmgate and I think they're the best. The girls all like them anyway. Try making a wet mash with them, adding in some poultry spice, garlic etc, because if they're not eating at the moment they'll be getting a bit run down.

[draig]

thanks everyone, I tried them as mash and mixed in a few meal worms and melon seeds this has been very popular. I stopped treats but they have lost weight making me very worried

[MaureenHall]

Well give them some treats (mixed corn, sweetcorn etc) late afternoon, early evening when they've eaten their pellets/mash. They need the pellets to make sure they're getting the right nutrients so don't hold back on those

[Suechooks]

If they're losing weight it might be a good idea to worm them. It won't do any harm and might make them eat better.

[draig]

Thanks Suechooks I had the same idea and have ordered some wormer. They are all looking very satisfied and full at the moment calmer than they have been so I feel a bit better

[Snadger]

I use farmgate and have had no problems. If they are hungry enough they will eat it................but not if other treats like mixed corn or bread are available.
Thats why it's recommended only to feed treats in the evening so that they have had the essential nutrients and grit intake for the day from the pellets first.
Put any type of feed down and they will always tackle the layers pellets last even though it has everything required in it for healthy growth and egg production.

PS Check the sell by/use by date on the pellets as you may have been given an old sack from the bottom of the pile?

[CoraxAurata]

recently a neighbour kindly picked up a bag of pellets for us, only it came from a different supplier and the chooks hated them, but seem quite content to eat tons of the normal one we buy, which I can't remember the name of and don't fancy going back out in the rain to check.... but the pellets are smaller and harder than the bag my neighbour brought us. My birds do generally eat really well eating 1.5 times what they should need in layers pellets, plus an evening feed made of 2 scoops mash, 1.5 flaked maize, 1.5 flaked barley, 1 scoop mixed grain with hot water added, plus titbits, OH buys them cabbages from the supermarket! And I have one underweight hen (a very stubborn broody who I remove from the nest put food and water in front of her and she just sulks - I got excited when she actually ate a couple of mouthfuls this a.m.!). And apart from one young Cockeral who may be a bit borderline none of my birds are overweight either. They all look pretty pathetic in the rain today, my lovely little black hen who normally has perfect feather looks like a drowned rat! But she insists on standing fight out in the rain so maybe she felt the need for a shower.....

[bluemoon]

We use the Smallholder ones and they eat well. This is largely because our feed merchant has a choice of his own brand (cheap, but full of GM ingredients), the Smallholder range, or the Organic Feed Company ones (which are seriously expensive) using Smallholder is a compromise, but I have no complaints

[Bramble-Poultry]

we changed over to farmgate a few months back as i was spending too much at the feed merchants! we started off with smallholder, then as we got more birds we needed a cheaper feed so we went over onto their own brand which was poor compared.

then we picked up some farmgate by accident and what a bloody difference it made. the hens were at it like "a dog eating hot chips" and its a lot cheaper too. Now we get through around four bags of feed a week it makes a lot of sense to my pocket too.

If you are only ordering a small amount, farmgate will mail order you a couple of their 7.5kg feed bags if you contact them, or if you can get through 50 bags, they will deliver it on a pallet. Not practical for you all i know, but if you all club together in one location you might get bulk purchasing power!

[Snadger]

we changed over to farmgate a few months back as i was spending too much at the feed merchants! we started off with smallholder, then as we got more birds we needed a cheaper feed so we went over onto their own brand which was poor compared.

then we picked up some farmgate by accident and what a bloody difference it made. the hens were at it like "a dog eating hot chips" and its a lot cheaper too. Now we get through around four bags of feed a week it makes a lot of sense to my pocket too.

If you are only ordering a small amount, farmgate will mail order you a couple of their 7.5kg feed bags if you contact them, or if you can get through 50 bags, they will deliver it on a pallet. Not practical for you all i know, but if you all club together in one location you might get bulk purchasing power!

Farmgate layers pellets at £4.95 for 20Kg uses non GM material and seems to suit my chooks.........it also suits me at that price!

[Bramble-Poultry]

the guy at leek market sells it from his trailer at an average of £6 per bag, depending on what you have. I took two layers and a growers off him yesterday to top up the feed bins and it cost me £18, which when you compare that whilst on holiday my holiday cover went out and bought 5 bags of layers from the local feed store to top up the bins (bought small holder range) and it cost her £45!

i paid her back, then showed her where to get farmgate from and she is well chuffed now!!