What age to start BOSS?

[Julie S]

so as long as there are small rocks/pebbles/sand available to them they should eat what they need of the grit and be fine with foraging and BOSS? They're coop is surrounded by pea gravel haha

 

[bruceha2000]

Im considering sprouting it, Ive realized that my young flock really isn't eating as much as I thought and the chipmunks, squirrels, and birds are getting awfully fat around my run..

They do enjoy the occasional handful of scratch and their everyday pile of grass..

You don't want to leave BOSS or scratch out, if ONLY for the reason you mentioned. My girls have been getting BOSS pretty much every morning when I open the barn. Maybe a half a cup (I don't measure).

I didn't feed BOSS until the girls were maybe 4 months old but only because I hadn't read about it yet! They were wary of it at first but once the first girl got brave, took one and ran off only to come back IMMEDIATELY for more did they all jump in. Chickens are like that, if ONE is doing something, they ALL think they need to. Now they give me hell if they don't get it in the morning.

Their coop is a converted horse stall in the lower part of a 70' long 1800s bank barn. Their run is most of what is NOT the coop. I toss the unshelled seeds in the run when there is snow on the ground and outside the barn door otherwise. There is nothing left for "feed predators" EVER. I'm feeding plenty of wild sparrows in the coop during the day when the door is open and just discovered this week that I am also feeding at least one chipmunk. Time to make a treadle feeder.

They get about the same amount of scratch at roost time, scattered in the run outside the coop door. Remember, scratch is dessert, not dinner

Bruce

 

[QueenBubbles]

My 10 week olds just discovered they like BOSS! I had to crack a few open to get them started and when I came back later - all gone!! I threw some more out to make sure it had been them eating and what zeal they had!
I've also started some sprouting in a couple places to keep up a good supply of sprouts because they love their greens!
Thanks for all the helpful posts.

 

[hugz4all4]

You don't want to leave BOSS or scratch out, if ONLY for the reason you mentioned. My girls have been getting BOSS pretty much every morning when I open the barn. Maybe a half a cup (I don't measure).

I didn't feed BOSS until the girls were maybe 4 months old but only because I hadn't read about it yet! They were wary of it at first but once the first girl got brave, took one and ran off only to come back IMMEDIATELY for more did they all jump in. Chickens are like that, if ONE is doing something, they ALL think they need to. Now they give me hell if they don't get it in the morning.

Their coop is a converted horse stall in the lower part of a 70' long 1800s bank barn. Their run is most of what is NOT the coop. I toss the unshelled seeds in the run when there is snow on the ground and outside the barn door otherwise. There is nothing left for "feed predators" EVER. I'm feeding plenty of wild sparrows in the coop during the day when the door is open and just discovered this week that I am also feeding at least one chipmunk. Time to make a treadle feeder.

They get about the same amount of scratch at roost time, scattered in the run outside the coop door. Remember, scratch is dessert, not dinner 



Bruce

They get plenty of regular feed as their normal diet. I only give the scratch as a treat in the run to keep them busy. My chickens are not free range.. So I have a metal can filled with a mixture of dried mealworms, scratch, BOSS, Grit, their flock raiser. I throw it all in a sand pail size bucket half full and scatter it around their run, along with fresh grass clippings, their feed dishes, fresh water and whatever bugs they dig up. They run around their run chasing me scratching at the ground eating the food. By mid morning the ground is usually pecked clean except for the BOSS, thats why I said Im going to try and sprout them.

 

[bruceha2000]

They get plenty of regular feed as their normal diet. I only give the scratch as a treat in the run to keep them busy. My chickens are not free range.. So I have a metal can filled with a mixture of dried mealworms, scratch, BOSS, Grit, their flock raiser. I throw it all in a sand pail size bucket half full and scatter it around their run, along with fresh grass clippings, their feed dishes, fresh water and whatever bugs they dig up. They run around their run chasing me scratching at the ground eating the food. By mid morning the ground is usually pecked clean except for the BOSS, thats why I said Im going to try and sprout them.

I've never given mine mealworms though from what I read they are a very popular item (and healthy). There is at least one thread on how to raise them. I'm really surprised yours don't eat the BOSS given how ALL of mine would give their right wing for it.

 

[Heme]

Correct: Just one thing, if you allow the birds to migrate (Free Roaming) they get all the grit they need. A source of GRIT if your are lacking that in your open area is Builders Sand.

Not Play Sand, but sand with small gravel used in cement preparation. I get a bag at Lowes for $3.50 (big bag) and lasts all year around. It was washed prior to pouring into the bags, but I take a scoop now and again, put some in a colander and run my hose over it for a minute or two. I let dry and then spread it on the ground near my hen house or inside near the feeding dish.

 

[Melineke]

Cracked corn isn't considered scratch is it? Can it be given to the chickens everyday?

 

[matt44644]

Cracked corn isn't considered scratch is it? Can it be given to the chickens everyday?

It is used in scratch and can be consider scratch.Scratch shouldn't be more than 10 % of their diet.

 

[mossyroo]

I feed BOSS to my horses 2x/day. have sunflowers popping up all over the pasture in the summer. I'm looking forward to my new chicks getting out there soon. I toss them a handfull of seeds or dried mealworms or maybe a few scraps on occasion.

 

[bruceha2000]

Cracked corn isn't considered scratch is it? Can it be given to the chickens everyday?

Corn really has little food value compared to regular chicken food and what they find outdoors on their own. Yes you can give it to them every day, No you shouldn't make it a big part of their diet.