5.5 week old chicks. What can I feed them ?

[kubaduba1]

Hello what can I start feeding my 5.5 week old chickens? Can I use one of the recipes of DIY chicken feed and maybe grind it up really well before feeding to the chicks now or should just stick with the nature's best organic feed grower ?

The diy recipes are like sunflower seeds,flax seed,oats,etc . Which are much better than soy based but didn't want to start them too young
Thank you very much

 

[DobieLover]

The fundamental problem with all of those DIY feeds you see out on YouTube and on internet pages is that they are not nutritionally balanced. And chickens need a balanced diet. They can either get that through
A: a commercially produced feed or
B: by foraging a very large and diverse terrain to find everything that they need on their own.
We all know that option B really isn't practical with most chicken keepers who join this site. Stick with a commercial starter/grower and your birds will be fine.

 

[kubaduba1]

The fundamental problem with all of those DIY feeds you see out on YouTube and on internet pages is that they are not nutritionally balanced. And chickens need a balanced diet. They can either get that through
A: a commercially produced feed or
B: by foraging a very large and diverse terrain to find everything that they need on their own.
We all know that option B really isn't practical with most chicken keepers who join this site. Stick with a commercial starter/grower and your birds will be fine.

That's what I was thinking watching those videos . Whats the best commercial feed I can use ? How about scratch and peck brand name ?
Thank you !

 

[Rurumo]

That's what I was thinking watching those videos . Whats the best commercial feed I can use ? How about scratch and peck brand name ?
Thank you !

I would search around locally first, find out if any local mills produce chicken feed in your county. Lots of times local mills have really fresh feed, and it can be quite good and is vastly less expensive than ordering online. See if you can find a good family owned feed store, they tend to be the ones that carry the local feeds and many other things.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How about scratch and peck brand name ?

If you opt for S&P, assuming you aren't using the pellets (which I think they only have layer pellets right now), be aware that you should consider serving the feed wet or fermented to ensure the chicks eat everything in the mix. The powder at the bottom that often goes to waste contains added vitamins and minerals and protein which makes it a complete feed.

 

[kubaduba1]

If you opt for S&P, assuming you aren't using the pellets (which I think they only have layer pellets right now), be aware that you should consider serving the feed wet or fermented to ensure the chicks eat everything in the mix. The powder at the bottom that often goes to waste contains added vitamins and minerals and protein which makes it a complete feed.

Yes I know they only have the layer but I think I read somewhere that they are coming out with grower .
Thank you

 

[Avian Egg Farms]

Hello what can I start feeding my 5.5 week old chickens? Can I use one of the recipes of DIY chicken feed and maybe grind it up really well before feeding to the chicks now or should just stick with the nature's best organic feed grower ?

The diy recipes are like sunflower seeds,flax seed,oats,etc . Which are much better than soy based but didn't want to start them too young
Thank you very much

You could partially make a DIY by mixing a seed blend which consists of grains and seeds that are nutritionally balanced for them and mix in some protein. (etc bugs, pea protein, soybean meal.) and give them veggies. Oats, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds are all good, except sunflower seeds should be given in moderation due to their high fat content. I am also experimenting with making my own feed for quail, (although I am using commercial feed, its not the weird pellets.) I found it cheapest to find a seed blend for quail that consists of grains and seeds, so I'd reccomend finding something like that for your chickens if you wish to give them something other than pellets or chick grower. Just make sure you can provide the correct nutrition for baby chickens, so you may want to do some research