How much Food do Baby Chicks need a Day

[mommiesrcool]

It is possible that you had meat birds that grow very quickly. Otherwise, you were feeding the wrong feed. When chicks are little, under 19 weeks of age, they need a grower formula that is available 24/7. When they begin to lay eggs, they need a qood quality layer feed with oyster shells on the side.

i feed the baby chicks Purina starter and growing 15 % protein but they might've been meat birds because they are really heavy maybe 7 lbs at 19 weeks old no eggs yet

 

[mommiesrcool]

Baby chicks need to have feed available at all times while they are growing!

they have feed the whole day just not at night

 

[yakitori]

For 8 birds I went through 40lb if crumbles (10lb +5lb+ 25lb bag) in 9 weeks...
So that’s about 5lb per bird. I fed them the crumbles until I ran out. Now I’m feeding a grower feed.

Oh I forgot they also get a lot of grass when they are allowed out to free range..so I guess the numbers above are hardly accurate!

 

[NatJ]

Oh I forgot they also get a lot of grass when they are allowed out to free range..so I guess the numbers above are hardly accurate!

That may not have changed the amount of purchased feed very much--grass has a lot of water and some fiber, but not a whole lot of calories.

 

[amenfarm]

Remember* in addition to free choice feed, once your chicks are a 1 to 2 weeks old, add chick grit. that's like adding teeth, their food is more broken down, becoming more digestible and saving you money because the feed is actually used better. Then, as they age you will change them to granite grit, and after 18 weeks you will add oyster grit supplementation. layer feed gives fast absorbing calcium-limestone powder, Oyster shell is slow release...they need that at night when they are making egg shell. I used large sized bird feeders that are easy open top to refill as adults and quart sized milk jugs as chicks , cut and the handles slide into wire strap or fencing to hold up. we also sprinkle their feed every week with brewers yeast to add important hard to get B vitamins.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

they have feed the whole day just not at night

Why? It should be available at night for chicks!

 

[Folly's place]

Because I'm not out there at dawn, when the birds wake up hungry, food is available 24/7 for them all.
Only Cornishx chicks should have some food restrictions, poor little guys.
Mary

 

[ChristinLewin]

And the one I go to in NY has a minimum of 6!

Southern States is 6 minimum and TSC is 2 ducks or 4 chicken minimum in Maryland

 

[Thechicksdigme]

Southern States is 6 minimum and TSC is 2 ducks or 4 chicken minimum in Maryland

NJ is the same 2 ducks or 4 chicks.

 

[CHlCKEN]

when i go to TSC I'm going to get two Rhode Island Red Pullets, i wanted to know how much fees they need a day? when i used to have baby chicks they over ate A LOT so much that they had to lose some weight.

You should fill their feeder daily and have it out at all times, they are growing chicks and will ale what they need, they will need Starters feed, at six weekends change it to growers feed. At POL change it to layers fed/ flock raiser