Chicken Newbie from California

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chick a dee

chick a dee

In the Brooder
7 Years
May 11, 2012
11
1
24
california
I am a newbie to chickens, I started with just a few, then kept adding a new breed here and there. I love getting up every morning to have coffee and tend to the chicks. Me and my husband (& parents next door) are enjoying them. I have a few of each: Silkies, Frizzles, Ameraucana, black austrlorp, buff orpington, red new hampshire, 1 Rhode island red, and plymouth rock barred. We have a 10 x 20 dog run that we are building a 12 x 10 coop to attach. ( looking at lots of plans and idea's on BYC to start project next weekend! Woo Hoo!) My chicks are 4-7 weeks old. I have quickly gotten addicted to my chicks, and they come running when I talk to them ~ I told my hubby that I'm a chick magnet :) I'm sure its the meal worms!
I've been reading (for hours) all about chickens, and joked that I am in chicken college reading lots of BYC forums. I'm wondering though ~ I have them on the medicated chick feed, and I've given them a few meal worms (but not tooo many) and a bit of fresh coleslaw. I haven't given them grit? Should I add this to thier food? They are in a large pen with shavings and dirt/grass underneath, but mostly its all piled with 2-3" on shavings. We plan on moving them to the coop in 2 weeks, then they'll have outside run area, and when they are alittle bigger a free range yard area. I am planning on keeping them on Medicated food til they are 3 months? or more? Thank you for any help
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I love BYC! What an excellent site.
Taylor
 
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Hi, welcome to BYC! Congrats on your new flock! I think it wouldn't hurt to give grit mixed in with the food until they are moved. And I'm not sure about the medicated chick starter, you may have to wait until someone else can answer that. My instinct would say that might a bit long to have them on it. I think you might switch to grower or raiser and I don't believe they are medicated products.
 
Welcome to BYC. You can keep them on medicated chick starter until they are about 20 weeks old if you wish, then switch over to layer feed at that time. Some people wait to switch them over to layer feed when the first egg is laid which is ok as well. Sometimes medicated chick starter can cause diarrhea (from my experience,) that's when I switch them over to non-medicated chick starter/grower until they reach 20 weeks old.
 
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Hello and welcome to BYC! Some people give their chickens apple cider vinegar, which is very good for them. Add 2-3 tablespoons to a gallon water.
 
dawg53 said:
Welcome to BYC. You can keep them on medicated chick starter until they are about 20 weeks old if you wish, then switch over to layer feed at that time. Some people wait to switch them over to layer feed when the first egg is laid which is ok as well. Sometimes medicated chick starter can cause diarrhea (from my experience,) that's when I switch them over to non-medicated chick starter/grower until they reach 20 weeks old.
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Thanks dawg!!!
 
Hello and :welcome

Use grit if they're eating anything other than chick starter, however if you've got dirt in the coop they'll pick it up themselves!

Don't hesitate to ask any questions you might have, and enjoy the site. :D
 

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