chick feed

[painterpeach]

at what age can chicks start to eat layer crumbles

 

[ChirpNEggBaby]

ABout at 4-6 months of age tho it wont kill them to mix some in b4 hand...they dont need it and it could slow growth...its designed to have higher calcium for egg production and lower protien. They really need the chick with the higher protien for growth.

Or you could do it but supplement with lots of chopped boiled egg, bugs etc. for protien.

 

[painterpeach]

thanks! our babies just turned six months old. we are going to move them in with other older chickens.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
They are ready to eat layer feed

 

[Fierlin1182]

Oh six months is more than old enough! Ours started young, at around 1-2 months, because they just wouldn't eat their chick pellets when the big girls were having all that scrumptious layer mix of seeds and grains.

It didn't hurt them, they're strong and healthy enough now.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
They are ready to eat layer feed

X2

 

[bairo]

I go with 24 weeks or when I see an egg, whichever comes first.

IMPO
1 day-5 weeks = medicated chick starter
5 weeks-24 weeks = Flock raiser crumble
24 weeks and older = layer pellets or 50/50 layer and flock raiser pellet. The mix is what I do because I can not get blue seal breeder in my area. Never had a thin shell egg, plenty of calcium even in the mix