Baby Chick Nutrition

[HoneyNestAcres]

I have a couple of questions, I am sure these have been asked and answered before but I haven't quite found straight forward answers yet, probably because I'm new to this site.

Anyways, I'm awaiting my first chicks that will be here tomorrow and my mind is going crazy with questions.. I'm over thinking everything haha.

I bought a medicated starter feed by Purina, it's a crumble feed. Now I'm curious if I should grind these crumbles down smaller than they are?
Should I wet the feed for them for the first few days?

I have read about giving chicks scrambled eggs, can this be done for any occasion?

Also just looking for any other advice on this subject! I am ready to fill my noggin with all the knowledge y'all have got to offer!

Thanks in advance!

 

[losttexan]

I have a couple of questions, I am sure these have been asked and answered before but I haven't quite found straight forward answers yet, probably because I'm new to this site.

Anyways, I'm awaiting my first chicks that will be here tomorrow and my mind is going crazy with questions.. I'm over thinking everything haha.

I bought a medicated starter feed by Purina, it's a crumble feed. Now I'm curious if I should grind these crumbles down smaller than they are?
Should I wet the feed for them for the first few days?

I have read about giving chicks scrambled eggs, can this be done for any occasion?

Also just looking for any other advice on this subject! I am ready to fill my noggin with all the knowledge y'all have got to offer!

Thanks in advance!

I would watch the chicks. They will tell you what they need. If they are having a hard time/rejecting the crumble size, then yes, I would grind it down. One low-tech approach is to put some in a ziploc bag and hit it with a mallet (if you don't have a blender or grinder). Some of the small breeds can have that problem. Wetting crumbles is ok, but watch for spoilage. Some folks wet the feed because they over-pulverize it, and need to reconstitute it a bit.
Scrambled egg is a good treat/training aid, but just that. Unless you need to boost nutrition for a weak chick or address a medical situation, it shouldn't be a major component of their diet. Once they are well-adjusted to feed and are proven eaters, feel free to use it.
This is a great place to ask questions and full of helpful folks. Oh, and -

 

[HoneyNestAcres]

Thank you so much losttexan! that was very helpful! You're right I know they will tell me what they need, just over analyzing since I'm in the homestretch of getting them lol. Also, thank you for the info on the egg, I was wondering when it should be used. Makes perfect sense.
YAY I am so excited to find a forum for chickens where I can pick everyone's brain!
aww Thank you for the welcoming!

 

[song of joy]

Welcome to BYC!

I usually crush the crumbles for the first 3 to 5 days, as even the crumbles seem a bit too large for new chicks. I put a small amount in a bowl and crush it with a spoon. Jar lids work well as introductory feeders for the first few days, as the chicks are eating small quantities of food.

I tried wetting the crumble feed last year, and it seemed to solidify pretty quick due to the higher temps of the brooder. In other words, it dried out and solidified, making it harder for them to eat than the crumbles!

Before commercial chick feed, old timers used to give chicks mashed, hard-boiled eggs for the first couple of weeks. I periodically offer it to chicks, as it's a complete, healthy food. After all, this is what supported their growth the entire time they were in the shell! Don't leave it in the brooder for more than an hour as it will spoil.

Enjoy your new chicks!

 

[losttexan]

Eggs are indeed a wonderful, complete food, and nothing in it can hurt them. The problem is (sometimes) it is such a good food that, if offered in abundance, they will prefer it to everything else, and not want their feed.