Are starter crumbles too big for bantam chicks?

[Griffox]

I feel like I need to crush them up or something to make them easier to swallow. Am I worrying needlessly?

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

I've been told that they'll have to eat eventually. But with mine I put some in a plastic bag and crushed them with a mallet until they were a fine powder or close to it. Eveyone had an easier time eating after that.

Good luck!

 

[farmgirlie1031]

My bantams didn't seem to have problems but with my buttons I had to put some in a plastic baggie and beat it up with a hammer to make smaller crumbles. If you wanted to you can do the same thing for your bantams. I found it isn't so messy if I use 2-3 bags as if I used only one baggie I busted it open with the hammer.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I'd just observe them while they're eating, if it seems they're having trouble with the crumbles then go ahead and crush them some more. None of my bantam chicks seemed to have any difficulty with the crumbles as they come from the bag.

Many brands of chick starter already have grit in them, to aid digestion. Check if your brand has it. I think some folks give their chicks parakeet grit if they need it.

I like to give my chicks a nice clump of grass, roots & dirt intact, to peck & scratch at. If they're in a box or on wire I'll also give them a plastic plant saucer full of sandy dirt to dig & dust bathe in.
Have fun with your baby biddies!

 

[kbbeale]

I havent had any problems with starter crumbles with bantams like frizzles, silkies, etc. Now, Seramas, that's a different story. See if you can find a starter MASH - that works best for everyone!!! Then you dont have to mess with smashing it up, after a while that becomes a big PITA.

Hope this helps!!

 

[flakey chick]

I think it also depends on the brand. Some are larger than others. It seems like they get more nutrition out of the smaller ones- the brands with larger pieces tend to pass through and they have to eat more. (and YOU have to clean out more pooh). It's probably less work to crush it up.

 

[Griffox]

Thanks so much for the replies. I thought I was just being overbearing. I will go smash some crumbles.

 

[jhm47]

If you have a fairly large amount of chicks, you can also use a blender. I use ours all the time when I have quail chicks.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

For my silkies, and sebrights, during the first week or two I have to run their food through the blender. also, medicated feed is a lot smaller than the unmedicated.

 

[Akane]

For very small bantams they can be. My japs had issues with the starter. You can either wet it for a few days to make mash or just deal with some waste. They will still find some small enough pieces to eat and dump the rest out. If you wet it you will have to change it very frequently. I start mine off with a little dish like the end cut off a plastic cup and then go to the chick feeder after a day or 2. That way I can change small batches more frequently both for if I wet it or if they have eaten all the small pieces and only have too large of ones on the top. You can also get a coffee grinder and grind it up which is what I started doing since I got button quail.