approx amount of starter needed for 8 chicks

[OrangeCrushCJ7]

I have seen varying sizes of chick starter feed bags. Obviously the larger the bag, the less costly per pound. Approx how much will I need per chick before it is time to switch to the next feed? I don't want to buy more than i'll need, only to still have it leftover when I move on to the developer feed. I have read about 1/10 pound per chick per day. That means I would need a little less than 40 lbs for 8 chicks for thier first month? Does that sound about right?

 

[mamaKate]

Go ahead and buy the 40 lb. bag. The amount they eat will increase dramatically and there will be some waste/spillage.

 

[terri9630]

Just buy the big bag. When it's time to switch them over to the next type of feed do it as your finishing a bag. I've got 11 RIR's and they are now on their third bag of feed (starter/grower). I can't remember what the weight is but it is the largest my feed store sells. The chicks are 11 wks now. When I switch them to layer it will be when the last of the starter/grower is gone.

A couple of my chicks are getting their "big girl" voices. The kids think it is hillarious when they start out in one voice but end in the other.

 

[astylishgirl]

You will not believe how much the chicks eat and waste. Get the big bag and HOPE that is the only one you have to buy.

 

[DawnSuiter]

7-8 chicks for 5-6 weeks = 25lbs of chick starter ASSUMING you do not let them waste a lot.

and it doubles from there reliably for me... that's the recipe we use here for our large fowl.. and we supplement VERY LITTLE during this stage except perhaps a couple of eggs each week. They have access 24 hours a day, and lights on 24 hours a day for the first 4 weeks.

My 13 went through 50lbs in 5 weeks however they SPILLED and wasted ALOT but as you can see, it's still within the calculation. And now they are on their last feeder full of medicated and have a 2nd feeder filled with non medicated pellets, same as all the adults eat.

I would rather take them off the medicated a week early and move them up to pellets for less waste.

Whatever choice you make, you live & learn, that's the fun part.

 

[fshinggrl]

I have 13 chicks and still have about 35 lbs of a 50lb sack of starter.

 

[codybird]

fshinggrl: How old are your 13 chicks?

 

[bethinoklahoma]

I bought the HUGE bad...... Its almost gone and I have a week or so to go. I had 20 chicks but its not bad to keep them on it all the way until the first egg right ?

 

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
you DO NOT want to eat eggs that came from medicated feed.
so if its medicated then NO.. you'll want them to clean out, you'll have to verify how long but I think at least 2 weeks, before you eat any of the eggs.

if it's NOT medicated.. shouldn't be much of a big deal, just start giving them some oyster shell too a month before laying

 

[Superior Chicks]

My humble 2 cents,

I have always kept my chicks on medicated chick starter/grower food right up to point of lay, and, even then, I mix the layer with the mediacated gradually so as not to change their diet "overnight".

I'm still here! And I'm old.................

Ma