Chicks eating layer crumbles instead of starter grower???????

[JustAChickenLittle&More]

Oh boy . My husband fed the two week old chicks the layer crumbles instead of starter grower. What will that do?

 

[boyswillbeboys]

On one occasion it shouldn't hurt, my 4 week old chicks like cleaning up under the big girls' feeder, including the oyster shell if they find it.

 

[gander007]

Nothing really just give them some calcium but not something you want to do every day as the little guys need Protein to grow ........

Make up the difference and servr them up a plate of mashed up hard boiled egg's one egg should do for your chicks and they should really enjoy it ....

 

[Sylviaanne]

I just made boiled mashed eggs for my birds and the baby chicks wouldn't touch it. I threw the shells and more than half of the eggs out to the adults and bigger chicks and they loved it.

Do they have to get used to it or see someone else going for it to want to eat it?

 

[JodyJo]

a bit of both...they need to know its ok to eat...once they do...watch out!

 

[gander007]

I just made boiled mashed eggs for my birds and the baby chicks wouldn't touch it. I threw the shells and more than half of the eggs out to the adults and bigger chicks and they loved it.

Do they have to get used to it or see someone else going for it to want to eat it?

Did I forget to mention to remove the shell then mash and some chicks take a bit but I know my adults will kill each other for it ....

All that has to happen is one chick to taste it and it is all over ....

How many chicks do you have ?

 

[JustAChickenLittle&More]

ok I have another question: how much do you fed your chickens. we have about 15 chickens and we go thriugh a 50 lb bag in a week? Is tgat right, or is hubby over-feeding his buddies

?

 

[lazy gardener]

ok I have another question: how much do you fed your chickens. we have about 15 chickens and we go thriugh a 50 lb bag in a week? Is tgat right, or is hubby over-feeding his buddies

?

One of two things is happening. You have rodents or other vermin that are eating your food, or the birds are wasting as much as they eat. A bag lasts my flock of 15-16 birds 2 weeks or more. I ferment their feed, which also cuts down the feed bill. The general recommendation is that an adult LF chicken will eat approximately .25#/day. Try bringing your feeder in at night, or otherwise covering it to make it inaccessible to rodents. Consider switching to fermented feed. No waste there.

 

[aart]

Quote: Ditto on the rodents or waste....or both.

My 20 birds go thru a bag every two weeks..and a quarter bag of scratch.

This feeder has eliminated all billing out waste for me:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/aarts-almost-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder