I've tried hand feeding them the layer pellets. Nope. Nada. They want something "special". The 50lb bag is half empty. Did the heat cause it to spoil? When I first changed them from chick feed to the layer pellets, they seemed to enjoy it and ate without issue.
Yesterday, our neighbor/friend checked on things while we were away. He collected the five normal eggs we've been getting from our five girls. Today I collected only two.
Yesterday afternoon I wasn't here to give them afternoon treats. Were they pouting? Missing the attention?
Until I can get back to the feed store, I may give them some peanut butter... just a tad... mixed with some meal worm/oats treats. And, I'll scramble their eggs and shells for an afternoon treat of protein! They love that!
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| Their eggs and shells scrambled with a bit of garlic! They LOVE it! |
I'm going to change to crumbles. Maybe they'll like that better.
But, if it is a spoilage issue, what do I do? How do I keep it from spoiling? It's stored in a metal trash can with a tight fitting lid, inside the Garden House. Should I move their feed inside the house? (Not that it's any cooler inside the house when we are out of town!)
I'm doing research on what chickens like (and should) eat. Since our girls cannot free range, I do try to provide them with some things they would find outside their run, like grass clippings, grasshoppers I'm able to catch, and I move the logs inside the run around where they discover BUGS! These girls are FAST! They even catch crickets!!!
I thoroughly enjoy Lisa Steele's article "Healthy Treats for Chickens" and reference it quite often. I'm grateful for her list of Toxic items that can/will harm the girls.
What do you give your girls, crumbles or pellets? What treats do you give them?
A newbie here, learning as I go!
