Chick Feed

[FrostWhiteChickens]

Hi guys, I'm planning to purchase some chicks next months and I'm making preparations for their arrival. The first thing that troubles me is the feed. I don't know how much I should purchase. Could anyone tell me how much feed a chick eats each day?

 

[Big Red Roosters]

How many chicks? One bag (fifty pounds) could last me several weeks for around twenty chicks.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi guys, I'm planning to purchase some chicks next months and I'm making preparations for their arrival. The first thing that troubles me is the feed. I don't know how much I should purchase. Could anyone tell me how much feed a chick eats each day?

How many chicks are you getting?
Buy your feed right before you get your chicks and check the mill date to make sure it's fresh.
Make feed available free choice during waking hours. Personally, I would figure on 1 pound of feed per chick each week.

I'm sure you will get a lot of answers. I normally buy an all flock type feed, so chicks and adults alike can eat the same feed, that may be something to look into if you have other chickens.

 

[Timothy Menezes]

Totally depends on how many chicks your getting, and how much they waste with your style of feeder. Also breed of chicken matters too. It will definitely be more than you would think lol.

I get 18 to 20% medicated starter for the first bag as they will pick at each other's poop for the few weeks till they figure out it's nasty. The meds keep them from getting sick/dieing from doing this gross thing. Second and 3rd bags are non medicated 18% starter. Some feed this until it's almost time for them to lay eggs. Others use grower, which is almost the same. My brand of grower is 17%.

 

[chickens really]

Hello. I feed medicated Starter and it only comes in one sized bag here where I buy feed.

 

[FrostWhiteChickens]

I'll buy 100 baby chick layers and I'd like to purchase the amount that can feed them through the first 8 weeks. How much will a chick eat during this period?

 

[Folly's place]

It would be best to buy the feed more often so it's fresher. If the mill date is three to five weeks out, and you want it to last another eight weeks, that's a bit too long, IMO.
Chickens can, on average, eat 2.5 to 3.5 pounds of feed per pound of gain (body weight) so, depending on breed and conditions, 100 chicks to ?two pounds? body weight at eight weeks of age comes to about 450+ pounds of feed. Guessing here! Storing it safely is another issue! I have three large metal garbage cans for feed, and leaving the feed in bags, can store 300 pounds at once. I never buy that much because I wouldn't use it up fast enough.
Mary

 

[Timothy Menezes]

I agree that it's better to buy the amount you need about a month or 2 at a time to keep it fresh and to minimize vermin issues. Would suck to buy 500 pounds of feed and have rats / mice get into it and ruin it.

But I understand where your coming from since your going to have allot of birds to feed and it's good to get better prices buying in bulk. So if your going to do that, check Purina Mills or Nutrena websites. Seems like I saw charts on one of those sites that gives fairly accurate predictions for people to reference.

Also Storeys Guide to chickens might have something like that as well. Metzers also has charts for meat chickens, 2 different types of meat ducks, egg ducks, and even guineas I believe.

What type of chickens are you getting? There is going to be differences depending on breed. A leghorn won't eat as much as a Rhode Island Red for example.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

For 100 chicks, you'll probably need 5 or 6 50 lb bags of chick feed to last for 8 weeks.