hens won't eat layena
 

my hens don't like layena or any kinds of pellets or crumbles. is it okay to just give them scratch and table scraps?
they haven't been laying very well for a while. they get oyster shell also.

They will need some form of protein, plus minerals that they won't get from scratch and may or may not get from scraps depending on what the days scraps are. Layers will need a minimum of 16% protein to lay well. 17+% is better.

how do I get them to eat the pellets or crumbles? usually they will only eat the bare minimum of it.

Mine wouldn't eat the crumble at first but I wet it down to make mash & they gobbled it right up then figured out the dry crumble was good also. Works for the pellets also. I accidentally got pellets before & just wet them down & the girls ate them. They HATE pellets.

I'll try that! Thanks! they were laying 5-6 eggs a day (seven or eight hens) now I'm lucky to get one a day.

In the months like now, most molt...can give them some chopped liver to give an extra protein boost. Even if they aren't in molt, its still good for them.

They surely need some 16%-18% layer mash. Scratch should be served to them as a snack and not their main diet. It is like donuts to them.

My chickens lost weight bad, when I gave them a bag of Layena.

Do they seem hungry? Mine seem to go on and off feed at times, but they're probably eating bugs. They don't care for pellets at all, just crumbles. When mine go off feed I usually give them milk as a supplement (I have goats).

Mine love the layana........well, they eat anything really. Still no eggs :( whats up? They seemed extra hungry today, so I gave them lots of extra.

I free feed my girls the Layena crumbles (they won't eat pellets either). I only have to fill up the bowls every couple of days or so, and then it is only to top it off. So they really don't eat that much of it. But every morning, I sprinkle some scratch grains on top of the Layena and they dig in. I sprinkle the scratch grains out in their run,too.

My hens haven't laid that well all summer (100 days of 100plus degree heat). Now that fall is coming, they are not laying due to the molting. I can't win this year.

I had just the opposite problem with my first batch of chickens - they would eat pellets or crumbles but not kitchen scraps. So, I decided they needed to get a bit hungrier and didn't feed them the pellets for a couple of days. Fixed the problem. Now, when I have to switch feed on them for some reason I lock them in and feed them only "it". If only I could do this with my kids!!!

Im in Texas also & have had the same bad run of luck. Heat plus drouth plus the lack of greens & almost all the bugs being eaten up now...my egg count is LOW but the birds are still healthy just not up to par on egg production.

I was told to get some alfalfa pellets (like rabbit feet) & feed it to the chickens also to get some green in their diet since most of the forage grass & such is still dead a gone from the summer. Im going to try it & see how it goes. Will post up about it when I get the stuff.

Purina just came out with an Omega 3 laying pellet. I bought a bag because Purina sent me a coupon (otherwise I get their regular pellets). I just filled up the feeder this evening with it. They are small pellets.

Don't know how it will go over, will let you know. But it is more expensive and comes in a 40lb bag for #15.00.

The Omega 3 is good stuff but a lil bit more $$. You can mix in a bag of it here & there with their regular feed. The price "should" come down once the "new" of it wears off. I can't even find it around here to try it. None of the local feed stores will bother to get it nor the Tractor Supply. Pizzes me off when the feed store does this "oh we only get what they send us" crap. That's not true, they just don't want to bother.

If they are eating grass, and bugs that are eating grass, you're wasting your money with the Omega 3 stuff.

I agree sue but 99+% of Texas has NO grass unless you can REALLY afford to pay a big water bill to get decent green grass.

That stinks! How the heck do they raise cattle? I've purchased "grass fed" beef from Slankers down there. Wonder what they are really eating:hrm:

Everyone is selling off their cows in Texas. Hay is out of sight high, feed is over priced also, water tanks & ponds are dried up, if someone has hay or feed they jack the price so high no one can afford it. Everyone is selling out. The only cow we have is a jersey that is due to calf & she is up by us in this pasture not in the back, bigger pasture. I refill water tubs for her & the chicks..oh yea the dog also...daily. She gets feed, hay & then whatever she wants to find around the place. Compared to most, she is doing GOOD. Its sad the drouth we are in.

That's awful. I hope you get a good soaking soon. Too bad we can't redirect some weather patterns for you all!

If you want omega 3 see if your feed mills have linseed. Sold as flax in tiny expensive containers in grocery stores but often in bulk as linseed at mills. Tons cheaper to mix that in at your own rate if you can get it than buy a feed or supplement that has it. Also any nuts (except peanuts which are a legume not a nut) are good for omega fatty acids if you find a cheap source of something locally.

Wow, I must be tired because at first glance at your thread title, I read "hens won't eat lasagna".

Thats what I feed my girls, the omega 3 stuff. They love it but the last week or so they don't seem to be eatting as much of it. I don't know if it's because they are eating more forage or what, but it seems like suddenly they have quit eating as much feed.

Wish I could send you Texas folk some of our rain. I feel like I'm getting webbed feet Haven't seen a nice sunny day in ages. Everything is flooded. Farmers can't even get second cutting of hay. Thank goodness I took first cutting this year. Our feed store no longer handles Purina feeds. They claim it's because of the low quality compared to other feeds. My vet is also not liking Purina. I feed Blue Seal and have excellent results with all my livestock.

My girls only eat pellets......whatever brand I find cheapest right now (Dumor). No crumbles as they are more wasteful...........I feed them a pan of 17% protein alfalfa pellets (what my goats eat) soaked in goats milk once a day......they love it! Sometimes I mix in my milk stand grain too, but haven't done that recently due to the price.

They range all over the place (though there isn't much to forage) get table scraps as well & if I don't make sure the barn cats food up they'll raid that too.....lil vultures.

Egg production is steady.... I easily find 8-9 per day, but now that I've turned them loose they are laying all over the place & the kids have to hunt up the hiding places.