Feed Question

[DuckBoy323]

I have 6 broilers chicks with 8 other layer chicks in the same brooder and they are about 2 weeks old, should I be taking their feed out for 12 hours now or should I wait? I'm wanting to keep the broilers and the layer chicks together for another week and then thinking of moving the broilers out. Would that be alright? Anything y'all know that I should know would be great. Thanks y'all

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I believe you can wait another week before starting to limit the food to 12 hours on and 12 off. FYI, I take the food away from my 3 week old broiler chicks when I'm getting ready for bed and give it back in the morning after I get up. So they are maybe 15 hours on and 9 hours off. I'll probably lengthen the "off" period starting next week, but right now, this schedule is convenient.

I seem to remember reading that 2 weeks may be a bit early to limit the feed anyway.

 

[anorwood]

I had a similar question about when to limit the food. Right now my 2 week old chicks are emptying their feed trough twice a day, and the amount I'm putting in increased daily. When I go to only once a day feeding do I put double the amount? I don't think I want to cut them to 1/2 ration when they're growing so quickly, do I?

 

[ceeceeholt]

I would seperate the layers from meaties as soon as possible or the layers will struggle to have enough to eat and if they're like mine they will be a lot smaller. I took away the food at night the first week. They are now 5 1/2 weeks old very healthly and average about 4.5lbs. My layers of the same age are about a quarter of the size and weight. I fill a one gallon feeder and leave it for 12 hours, the water is another story, I leave a one gallon waterer in at all times and fill it four times a day. Next time I will invest in a larger waterer as they go through a lot of water. Good luck and hope this helps a little bit.

 

[DuckBoy323]

Yeah they are soon going to be 4 weeks in a couple days and look a little small. They are a bit bigger than my little layers and have moved them into a larger area and now I'm gonna seperate them. What feed should I give em? I had them on a medicated chick starter that had like i think 20 or 22% protein and i'm thinking of just giving that to my layer chicks and I also bought Nutrena broiler feed. So should I switch to that and just give that til I butcher em? Thanks for the help!

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I'm dealing with many of the same questions and getting conflicting information. However, I'd definitely take them off any medicated feed, regardless of whether you are changing the protien content. I would think that I'd want to give the chickens a few weeks to get whatever the medication is out of their systems, meat etc. so that I wasn't ingesting it myself when I butchered and cooked them.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I have 6 CC's that are just over 8 weeks old, and I fed them a starter/grower feed from Barlett Mills. This feed contains a botanical supplement called APEX( http://www.bartlettmillingfeed.com/images/apex poultry.pdf ). It is a botanical supplement, and the feed doesn't contain antibiotcs, hormones, or animal derived ingredients. I am guessing that my roos are at least 10 pounds, and the pullets a little smaller. They are not having any leg problems, and I started giving them enough food so that they would have enough food for evenings, but would run out overnight when they were 4 weeks olds I am hoping to harvest this weekend or next.

I have 15 4-week-old CC's and they are 3-4 pounds plus, and I just found out that Barlett Mills makes a meat grower/finisher that you are supposed to start at 6 weeks. My feed store has ordered a couple hundred pounds for me (I have more meat birds coming...), so I should have that next week to begin feeding at 6 weeks. I will be interested to see how they grow compared to the first 6. I don't know what I will do if they grow any faster.

I don't know the distribution area of Bartlett Feed, but their only manufacturing plant is in Statesville, NC, and I live in northeast Tennessee, , so I imagine it is Southeast. The odd thing is that the headquarters is in Kansas City, MO. All I know is that I have been very pleased with the results in the layers (good size eggs and nice hard shells) and in the growth rate of the meaties without the leg problems often associated with them. The price is about $1 more than co-op feed per 50 pounds, and cheaper than Tractor Supply's DUMOR feed.

I am not looking forward to butchering, but am looking forward to eating a bird that I raised myself. My kids are looking forward to home-grown chicken wings!