A Few Questions

[SarahBC]

I believe the reason they want you to switch is that the feed is high-protein and high-fat. Most chick starter is 18% protein, and 3.5% fat. It's probably meant to give the chicks a boost for the first few days. But high protein is believed to cause gout and kidney damage.

I've researched this a bit, and I've found a lot of blog-type articles that say that kidneys are damaged by high protein. The actual studies I've found, the ones collected and recorded by scientists, say that high protein doesn't hurt kidneys, unless the subject already has kidney damage. Blog-type articles also say that gout is caused by high-protein diets. I haven't found a study to back that one up (though I refuse to pay for articles and I only use Google scholar, so fair warning here.) EDT: excess calcium pretty clearly does cause kidney damage, so if you want to be really careful of your birds, keep them on grower/allflock feed later and just give a bowl of oyster shell on the side.

I'd finish that bag off and not give it another thought personally. But if you're worried, buy another bag of starter. Or meatbird grower. 18% protein and 3.5% fat or lower. Then I'd mix it with that one. Problem solved.

Also, if you start giving grit, you can start giving treats. Wild chickens start their lives on grass and bugs. So long as they have grit and you're not going overboard, there's no reason you shouldn't do the same.

So much to learn! We got the coop, then chicks, and all the accessories and didn't think about a dust bath or grit. Is there a specific brand of sand to use for a dust bath? Or a good brand of grit? I live in BC Canada

 

[sylviethecochin]

So much to learn! We got the coop, then chicks, and all the accessories and didn't think about a dust bath or grit. Is there a specific brand of sand to use for a dust bath? Or a good brand of grit? I live in BC Canada

There is grit sold specifically for chicks. Since it's pretty much pebbles, I've never worried about brand names.

As for dust-bathing, there are a few options.
Sand (again, I don't care about brand; it's rocks) is a good base. Some people, myself included, like to lower that pH a bit with some acidic wood ash (readily available to me) or up it with some lime (the rock. Not the juice. Just to clarify.) Both retard bug growth. Some people add DE. It's pretty much silicone dust, but it's naturally available (mined) so it doesn't get the same press as artificially-dusted silicone would. It can be a breathing irritant, and it's supposed to keep bug populations down a bit by lodging into their carapaces and drying them out. There's a lot of controversy on whether it works and how harmful it is to the birds.

Some people put their dustbaths out on tarps, some people use old tires, and I let them free-range, so they've elected the underside of the porch as their dusty heaven. Keeps it weed-free, so I have no complaints.

 

[SarahBC]

There is grit sold specifically for chicks. Since it's pretty much pebbles, I've never worried about brand names.

As for dust-bathing, there are a few options.
Sand (again, I don't care about brand; it's rocks) is a good base. Some people, myself included, like to lower that pH a bit with some acidic wood ash (readily available to me) or up it with some lime (the rock. Not the juice. Just to clarify.) Both retard bug growth. Some people add DE. It's pretty much silicone dust, but it's naturally available (mined) so it doesn't get the same press as artificially-dusted silicone would. It can be a breathing irritant, and it's supposed to keep bug populations down a bit by lodging into their carapaces and drying them out. There's a lot of controversy on whether it works and how harmful it is to the birds.

Some people put their dustbaths out on tarps, some people use old tires, and I let them free-range, so they've elected the underside of the porch as their dusty heaven. Keeps it weed-free, so I have no complaints.

Thank you!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

For dust baths, peat moss or plain old dirt or garden soil (with no additives like fertilizers, perlite) are also things you can use or mix in. I use peat moss and a covered kid's sandbox as a dust bath, so the peat moss stays dry even in rain or snow.