When to start feeding chicks pellet food.

[DuckDude II]

Hello, everyone! We own 50, six week old White Leghorn/RIR chicks. When do we start feeding them pellets instead of crumbles? Just wanted to pick your all’s brains.

Thanks,

DuckDude II

 

[nuthatched]

Laying pellets? Not until about 18-20 weeks old, you can feed them flock raiser or all flock pellets, just feed without the calcium

 

[mommiesrcool]

Hello, everyone! We own 50, six week old White Leghorn/RIR chicks. When do we start feeding them pellets instead of crumbles? Just wanted to pick your all’s brains.

Thanks,

DuckDude IIView attachment 2488932

I like to do Half and half of chick starter and layer feed once they are 17 weeks old and then once they turn 18 weeks old they get completely layer feed. Your chicks are so adorable !!

 

[rosemarythyme]

By pellets are you asking about layer pellets, or are you planning on feeding grower pellets? If grower pellets, they're big enough to manage pellets around 8 weeks or so, as long as the pellets aren't overly large.

 

[mommiesrcool]

By pellets are you asking about layer pellets, or are you planning on feeding grower pellets? If grower pellets, they're big enough to manage pellets around 8 weeks or so, as long as the pellets aren't overly large.

X2

 

[cincyfarmgirl]

I like to do Half and half of chick starter and layer feed once they are 17 weeks old and then once they turn 18 weeks old they get completely layer feed. Your chicks are so adorable !!

Since my baby chicks become part of the flock at a rather young age I don’t know how I can prevent them from partaking of the calcium rich layer feed. Their mother and they wandered around free ranging and had access to layer feed - as well as to the “baby” feed during the time that they were sequestered away from the flock for half a day. Am I doing them and injustice by allowing them to have some layer feed at young age, which contains calcium? How dangerous is it?

 

[mommiesrcool]

Since my baby chicks become part of the flock at a rather young age I don’t know how I can prevent them from partaking of the calcium rich layer feed. Their mother and they wandered around free ranging and had access to layer feed - as well as to the “baby” feed during the time that they were sequestered away from the flock for half a day. Am I doing them and injustice by allowing them to have some layer feed at young age, which contains calcium? How dangerous is it?

You could feed all flock and up t oyster shells on the side and once they turn 17 weeks old you could switch back to layer feed

 

[Cazook]

Chick crumb until 6-8 weeks, then grower pellet until they start to lay.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Am I doing them and injustice by allowing them to have some layer feed at young age, which contains calcium? How dangerous is it?

Better to switch the whole flock to all flock, grower, flock raiser, etc.

As far as damage, you may not see it for years and they may not all be affected, but excess calcium can cause kidney damage over time.

 

[aart]

When do we start feeding them pellets instead of crumbles?

'Pellets' and 'crumbles' are just the shape of the feed.
You need to know what the ingredients are, especially the protein and calcium percentages.
Should be on the tag sewn into bottom of bag.
Also important to learn how to read the mill dates, often printed on tag or bottom sew strip.