when to switch from starter feed?

[TREX]

I have a question...

I keep reading how many pounds of starter feed everyone's chicks are going through vs how old they are.
I have 14 chicks that range from 7-10 weeks old. I have just purchased my 4th 50 pound bag of the chick starter feed after the first 2 25 pound bags only lasted a week. Is it normal for my chicks to be eating this much? That is 250 pounds of starter feed in just 10 weeks! I feel like I am constantly filling their food containers because they seem to eat it so fast. My 3 silkies (7 weeks) don't eat as much as my 10 week old chicks do. They also seem to be eating more and more as they grow so I having to purchase feed more often.

Is this normal or do I have pigs with feathers instead of chickens?

I switched to a hanging feeder and the food bill has gone way down.Apparantly my birds liked scratching most of the crumbles out looking for choice pieces and wasted tons of it on the bottom of the brooder and coop. Also I heard someone on another board recommend switching to pellets instead of crumbles,and there is always the discussion about fermenting the feed to make it more digestable to achieve alot less waste.

 

[missnu01]

even just wetting the chick food will greatly reduce your waste.

 

[NavyChiefWife]

I free feed them all day. I have them indoors in my dining room right now (hubby is in the process of rush building our coop right now). I have 2 of the long feeders and 1 standing smaller feeders in with them right now. I also have 3 water containers as well.

We have 3 Rhode Island Reds, 3 Barred Rock, 3 EE, and 2 mixed (not sure of breed) in the big pen. Then the 3 little silkies together. They all seem healthy except for one that has a deformed leg. I feed them F-R-M Chicken Starter Crumbles medicated. I was told not to give them anything else until they start laying (no scraps, grit etc).
I have been trying to take 2 out at a time for some outside time. I can't handle all 14 at once by myself so they all take turns going outside.

Is what I'm feeding them a good feed or is it bad and thats why they are eating so much?

 

[missnu01]

They will need grit to eat grass and bugs. As long as you have some small rocks in your yard they'll get grit that way, but I think it's safer to give grit to make sure. If they have no grit their crops can become impacted.

 

[TREX]

I free feed them all day. I have them indoors in my dining room right now (hubby is in the process of rush building our coop right now). I have 2 of the long feeders and 1 standing smaller feeders in with them right now. I also have 3 water containers as well.

We have 3 Rhode Island Reds, 3 Barred Rock, 3 EE, and 2 mixed (not sure of breed) in the big pen. Then the 3 little silkies together. They all seem healthy except for one that has a deformed leg. I feed them F-R-M Chicken Starter Crumbles medicated. I was told not to give them anything else until they start laying (no scraps, grit etc).
I have been trying to take 2 out at a time for some outside time. I can't handle all 14 at once by myself so they all take turns going outside.

Is what I'm feeding them a good feed or is it bad and thats why they are eating so much?

Thats what I was told as well but I started thinking to myself" is this how the Momma hen would raise her clutch?" The answer is no.She would be showing them all the choicest bits of this and that to eat from the start.I put grit in the cage with them at 3 to 4 weeks and started feeding them treats like dried mealworms.I then switched to very small tender juicy live crickets((at the pet store they sell the different sizes of crickets for reptiles which I also have living in my home,lol) The extra protien IMHO was good for them as this is the time when they start putting on feathers and growing really fast.I wouldn't overdo it but as a suppliment it works out great.And also don't forget the grit, I try to make sure they have it available at all times. I then started taking them out to pasture.I put them in a wire dog cage and gave them half shad half sun for part of the day and let them graze,they loved it and all of them are big healthy beautiful birds.Mine also get my leftover oatmeal,they love that too,I mix it with starter feed and add a smidge of milk for calcium and they gobble it right up.

Have you tried looking at goodwill for a large wire dog cage? I got one for 20 bucks,very large and in good condtion with the pan and everything.The pan is removable for cleaning so I just take that out flip it over and they have a nice totally fenced enclosure in which to graze.Also to bring mine out of the house I used a dolly cart.They were in an older plastic model dog cage after they outgrew the brooder. I had the dog kennel sitting on a dolly.Whenever I wanted to bring them outside I'd just roll them to the other cage in the grass and put them in.Hope this helps some! Enjoy your babies.

 

[EmSteele]

Wow! So much info! I have 6 RIR, 4Barred rock, and 2 that were supposed to be barred but are growing black with a copper color stripping in their wings. So, I'm seeing everyone is switching feed between 9- 16 weeks? That's a big difference? Anyone with my type of birds willing to give me their opinions? It would be very appreciated!

 

[Gifa]

I have a question...

I keep reading how many pounds of starter feed everyone's chicks are going through vs how old they are.
I have 14 chicks that range from 7-10 weeks old. I have just purchased my 4th 50 pound bag of the chick starter feed after the first 2 25 pound bags only lasted a week. Is it normal for my chicks to be eating this much? That is 250 pounds of starter feed in just 10 weeks! I feel like I am constantly filling their food containers because they seem to eat it so fast. My 3 silkies (7 weeks) don't eat as much as my 10 week old chicks do. They also seem to be eating more and more as they grow so I having to purchase feed more often.

Is this normal or do I have pigs with feathers instead of chickens?

A couple of trips to the feed store ago, I accidentally picked up 2 40# bags of crumble, instead of 2 50# bags of pellets... Typically, my 7 girls will go through 100#s of pellets in 8 weeks. Interestingly, they went through 80# of crumble in just under 5 weeks.

Doing the math...

Pellets
100# divided by 8 weeks = 12.5# a week
12.5# divided by 7 hens = 1.8# a week per hen
Which comes out to .25# per hen per day.

Crumble
80# divided by 4.5 weeks = 17# per week
17# divided by 7 hens = 2.5# a week per hen
Which comes out to .4# per hen per day. (how much do you want to bet got wasted?)

For my 7 adult LF hens...



So... for your girls...

250# divided by 10 weeks = 25# per week
25# divided by 14 = 1.8# a week per hen.
Which comes out to .25# per hen per day.




Sounds pretty normal to me...

 

[kort soojian]

You should stop feeding starter after they compleatly fetherd out

 

[BGMatt]

I have always switched mine to adult feed when they are big enough to eat the pellet. The caveat is that it is a custom blend with 2.5 - 3% calcium rather than the 3.5% or higher layer diets you typically see. I have never noticed a downside to doing this other than possibly slightly slower growth (but not smaller birds, just slower to get there).

 

[saamladusi]

I sai

i love it when my girls catch a worm...its like chicken football how they chase each other around and almost tackle each other...entertaining for sure

I said the same thing when I gave them moths! Now when I walk up to the coop they run to the edge to see if I have a "treat" for them!