Chick starter alternative

nihal

In the Brooder
Apr 19, 2017
9
1
14
So I can't get chicken starter around here .. So I am trying to find a diy food starter or something ..
My chick is 4 weeks and couple of days old .. I've been feeding it mostly corn (raw smashed ) I feed it egg whites (lately it started eating egg yolks too ) cooked rice yougert wet bread ....
I think my chick is doing fine ... But I want it to be healthy and strong ...
So what should I do ..
(Ordering food online isn't an option sadly)
 
Chick starter can also be called grower in some areas.
Do you have grower available to purchase? Or are you suggesting you would prefer to "make" your own feed all together?

A diet of mostly corn will not provide the correct minimum nutrients for a chick to thrive.
http://articles.extension.org/pages/68429/feeding-corn-to-poultry
 
Chick starter can also be called grower in some areas.
Do you have grower available to purchase? Or are you suggesting you would prefer to "make" your own feed all together?
Chick starter can also be called grower in some areas.
Do you have grower available to purchase? Or are you suggesting you would prefer to "make" your own feed all together?
Yeah I'd prefer to make it
 
Here is the minimum nutrient requirement needed for poultry:
Nutrient Requirements of Growing Pullets a

Age (wk) 0–6 6–12 12–18 18 to 1st Egg

White-Egg Layers

Body weight (g)b 450 980 1,375 1,475

Protein 18 16 15 17

Arginine 1.0 0.83 0.67 0.75

Lysine 0.85 0.60 0.45 0.52

Methionine 0.30 0.25 0.20 0.22

Methionine + cystine 0.62 0.52 0.42 0.47

Threonine 0.68 0.57 0.37 0.47

Tryptophan 0.17 0.14 0.11 0.12

Calcium 0.90 0.80 0.80 2.00

Phosphorus, available 0.40 0.35 0.30 0.32

Brown-Egg Layers

Body weight (g)b 500 1,100 1,500 1,600

Protein 17 15 14 16

Arginine 0.94 0.78 0.62 0.72

Lysine 0.80 0.56 0.42 0.49

Methionine 0.28 0.23 0.19 0.21

Methionine + cystine 0.59 0.49 0.39 0.44

Threonine 0.64 0.53 0.35 0.44

Tryptophan 0.16 0.13 0.10 0.11

Calcium 0.90 0.80 0.80 1.8

Phosphorus, available 0.40 0.35 0.30 0.35

a Requirements are listed as percentages of diet. Nutrient levels should be adjusted to meet

specific strain requirements, level of feed intake, and body weight and skeletal development.

b Average body weight at end of each period.
 
See attached pdf
 

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Hi @nihal. Your improvised chick food looks good to me. I had the same problem last fall - two chicks that were two weeks old and no chick starter or grower feed available. I fed them similar things to what you did and I also gave them a bit of layer feed. With time, I increased the layer feed (I know lots of people say one shouldn't do that because it contains too much calcium for chicks.) Anyway, both those chicks are fully grown hens now and are laying eggs themselves and they seem to be perfectly healthy.
 
Here is the minimum nutrient requirement needed for poultry:
Nutrient Requirements of Growing Pullets a

Age (wk) 0–6 6–12 12–18 18 to 1st Egg

White-Egg Layers

Body weight (g)b 450 980 1,375 1,475

Protein 18 16 15 17

Arginine 1.0 0.83 0.67 0.75

Lysine 0.85 0.60 0.45 0.52

Methionine 0.30 0.25 0.20 0.22

Methionine + cystine 0.62 0.52 0.42 0.47

Threonine 0.68 0.57 0.37 0.47

Tryptophan 0.17 0.14 0.11 0.12

Calcium 0.90 0.80 0.80 2.00

Phosphorus, available 0.40 0.35 0.30 0.32

Brown-Egg Layers

Body weight (g)b 500 1,100 1,500 1,600

Protein 17 15 14 16

Arginine 0.94 0.78 0.62 0.72

Lysine 0.80 0.56 0.42 0.49

Methionine 0.28 0.23 0.19 0.21

Methionine + cystine 0.59 0.49 0.39 0.44

Threonine 0.64 0.53 0.35 0.44

Tryptophan 0.16 0.13 0.10 0.11

Calcium 0.90 0.80 0.80 1.8

Phosphorus, available 0.40 0.35 0.30 0.35

a Requirements are listed as percentages of diet. Nutrient levels should be adjusted to meet

specific strain requirements, level of feed intake, and body weight and skeletal development.

b Average body weight at end of each period.
Thanks ^^
 
I've got 3 brand new baby chicks now that were hatched by one of my hens in the meantime. They are more than a week old now. I had a bag of millet left over and tried to give it to them - they like it, maybe because the millet grains are so small and easy to eat for them. In addition to that they get wet bread, bits of egg and layer feed, like the chicks last fall. I also gave them bits of green grass that I cut with scissors into very tiny pieces.
 

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