When to stop feeding chick starter?

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kaddidle

kaddidle

Songster
12 Years
Mar 23, 2010
150
7
191
Alabama
My feed store carries very small amounts of everything. I'm in the city and there aren't tons of chicken owners. They usually have about three bags of each item.

Anyway, they're out of "chick starter" feed and so I got a bag of "chicken scratch." (I think that they buy in bulk because chicken feed is sold in brown paper bags with the contents written in sharpie--no ingredient lists or explanation other than that. My three week old and five week old chicks are totally uninterested in the scratch and only want the starter. Should I keep offering both and for how long?

I am giving them access to gravel mixed in with other feed as well. I'm going to go get more starter feed as soon as they get it in and still have some to tide them over. They act very hungry when I get home and go to bring them starter even though they'll have full feeders of the scratch. Are they just too young for it yet?
 
They are still hungry. The scratch is not a balanced feed....Think potato chips. Taste yummy, and I could eat a bunch of em, but I'm still hungry once the bag is empty! I'm not sure what else you could try until you get more chick feed.
I keep my hens on the chick feed or a grower feed until they start to lay, and then it's on to layer feed.

Good Luck!
 
Chicks that young should not have scratch and no grit. They should be on chick starter only, nothing else. Such as "Start and Grow," until they are near laying or 16 - 20 weeks old, then switch to Layer feed.

Good luck with your chicks.

ETA: Scratch is like candy is to humans. It is only for treats.
 
Last edited:
Scratch should only be used as a treat, it isn't a balanced diet. You need to get more chick starter or flock raiser for them. I think scratch has something like 9% protein whereas starter has 18-22% for example. It just isn't nutritious enough and is also hard to digest.

If you get out of the city, a more rural feed store will have starter. You can also order it on line.
 
We got some girls that were 10 weeks old last week and the guy had them on layer pellets then. From what I just read, that will cause a problem because of the calcium. What will it do to them? Should I be worried and run to the store now to get a bag of the other stuff?
 
AAAH!!!
barnie.gif
wrong stuff! I would get them some protein asap! You want 20% protein feed...any form possible! I would feed them scrambled eggs or canned beans(mashed up)...just until they get their feed in stock. Blessings, Keri
 
Feed them some hard boiled egg mashed up. They'll love it and it's full of protein.
Obviously - only until you can get some starter crumble delivered. Order some online if you can.
 
A good rule of thumb per "Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens" is to keep them on starter rations until around 20 weeks, then switch them to layer rations. The nutritional needs change dramatically once your hens go on the lay, so I recommend you get a copy of Storey's Guide and read up on what the chooks need, and when.

wink.png
 
Thanks for the info, everyone.

My chicks are totally uninterested in mashed up hardboiled egg. I've tried offering it several times but they have not shown an interest. What's up with that?
idunno.gif


Meanwhile I'm offering chick starter all the time.
 

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