baby chick jello??

[eaglequest]

I saw that some hatcheries sell a jello type stuff for new chicks. It said it gives them hydration and a quick boost of nutrients. I was wondering if anybody makes their own stuff like this?

 

[FMAFarms]

It's called Gro Gel and it would be very very difficult to make your own. Let me pull a pack and list the ingredients, to give you an idea of why it's an excellent first food for newly hatched chicks and newly shipped chicks:

These are the ingredients for Gro Gel Plus B, by Dawe's Laboratories in Illinois:

Processed Grain By Products, Plant Protein Products, Fish By Prodcts, Acrylamide Acrylic Acid Resin, Vegetable Oil, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Vitamin A Supplement, Cholecalciferol, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin K Source, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Lactobacillus acidopholus, L. casei, Bifidobacteria bifidum, Streptococcus faecium, Bacillus Subtilis, Artificial color.

So: it's got healthy flora, vitamins and minerals, proteins, electrolytes, and a natural gelling substance, plus coloring so you can't possibly miss the stuff in the brooder. It's not that expensive, and one packet makes enough for 100 chicks (I cover and refrigerate what we don't use; it lasts a week in the fridge). You want to make sure to offer regular chick starter alongside the Gro Gel so that your chicks can slowly move to their real food once they have recovered from shipping stress. Also... keep stirring! It thickens up after a while.

 

[lotzahenz]

There are recipes online, I have seen them, but have no idea where. Am hoping to find it again. Maybe it will be posted by someone?

HenZ