Chick feeding scedual?

[frostic]

Hi, I have 5 week old RIR chicks and i asked 2 of my friends about feeding them and both gave different answers.
I'm trying to find out if i leave the feeder and water bowl in their brooder all the time.
My chicks don't seem to sleep long. they take about 5 naps a day for like 20 to 30 mins each nap.
I'm concerned because one friend said only put the feeder in for 3 to 4 hours a day, and the other friend said i need to leave it in all day and night till they are 8 weeks old? I don't want to over feed my chicks or underfeed them. what would be a good time period to put the feeder in with them?

 

[21hens-incharge]

They won't over eat.
Leave that food in there.

If you are using a heat lamp they will be up at all hours and eat while up. No they won't over eat.

They are big enough at 8 weeks to be in a coop and off the added heat. If you like you can remove the feed at night. Many do remove feed and water at night from the coop due to potential mice and rat issues.

If you only have feed available a few hours then your chicks will have very empty crops when you put it back in. With chicks an empty crop means hungry.

 

[frostic]

They won't over eat.
Leave that food in there.

If you are using a heat lamp they will be up at all hours and eat while up. No they won't over eat.

They are big enough at 8 weeks to be in a coop and off the added heat. If you like you can remove the feed at night. Many do remove feed and water at night from the coop due to potential mice and rat issues.

If you only have feed available a few hours then your chicks will have very empty crops when you put it back in. With chicks an empty crop means hungry.

Thankyou for the help!
What scared me is that there is like 20 posts on here saying their chicks crops got impacted and died? I only been doing this for a week now and don't want dead chicks. I change their water 1 time a day but they don't seem to drink much. they are little pigs with the food though. right now they have starter food pellets. and i been giving them a very small amount of bread as a treat 1 time a day and they seem to fight over who gets it. the smallest chick who i call blondie always wins. lol

 

[Pork Pie]

Agreed, leave food and water available at all times. I'd advise avoiding treats, for the time being as chick feed is formulated with optimum nutrition in mind.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I too would advise against treats.

Even my big chickens don't get bread.
It is super low in protein and a very processed human food.