Worried my chickens are not healthy

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Christie's Chooks
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Worried my chickens are not healthy

Post by Christie's Chooks »

hi all, i am looking for some advice. I bought 6 new chickens (my first lot of chickens, but my husband has looked after chickens for years!) last Saturday and was advised to buy mixed corn, which i did for them getting to their new home. However, since last Sunday, they have not been interested in it. My husband had not really fed his previous chickens corn, so picked up some pellets on Tuesday.

However, they dont seem to be itnerested in the pellets or other veg he have been putting out for them. But whenever a chicken poops, they all run over to the poop and eat it, which makes me think that they are hungry, but not interested in what we are trying to feed them.

they seem to be drinking plenty and their combs are still healthy looking, so i dont know how to deal with this. can anyone help or provide reassurance that this is somewhat normal (i dont think my husbands chickens ever acted like this).

they have a purpose built coop and a decent size run (alveit temporarily whilst they get used to their surroundings and then will have 5 acres to roam).

thanks in advance

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Mo
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Re: Worried my chickens are not healthy

Post by Mo »

Are they used to eating mash? Same stuff but different texture. You could try grinding up the the pellets to a powder. Then gradually introduce the pellets by mixing them in.

Good luck with them.
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Grannyof4
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Re: Worried my chickens are not healthy

Post by Grannyof4 »

The best food for chickens is either good quality layers mash or pellets...Mixed corn should be fed as a treat and in a very small quantity, preferably late afternoon when they have had their fill of mash/pellets. I am not sure it will be safe to let so few hens in 5 acres. Foxy will be licking his lips and there is no real safe escape for them. Before I moved I had acres but wired a big area which I then divided into 4 areas with the house central so I could shut off one area and move them to a fresh area.

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