Chicks coming tomorrow...Do I have the right food?!?!?

Armageddon

Songster
9 Years
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
321
Reaction score
0
Points
119
Location
Southern California
I thought I was all set up. But last night, looking closer at the package the food is in, it says something about 8 week food for broilers. Can I grind it up and give it to them until I can get back to the feed store? I can't remember the exact name on the package.....I have ordered all laying hens, different varieties.

Also, my Mother raises meal worms and she brought me thousands of teeny tiny baby meal worms, can I give some of them to the chicks as treats? You wouldn't believe how small they are. I am putting a picture, but the ones in the pic are actually the bigger ones of the bunch, I was afraid I would squash the little ones.

48321_meal.jpg
 
You need to get chick starter - you can't just grind up broiler feed for them. Sorry!

And I wouldn't give meal worms to chicks until they were at least a week or two old. You'll have to also give them grit so their crops can handle those mealworms, no matter how small they are.
 
HI,

Not to fret, baby chicks are able to eat anything (just about) for a day or so. An emergency fix is always scrambled eggs! The broiler food should be fine, it is not the size but the protein content I would guess. I prefer to feed "Chick Starter" free of all meds/addetives. It is a 24% protein crumble and you can wet it if they are having trouble with the size. They will usually peck it into smaller bits if needed. Just be sure your feed does not have addetives for "Layers" which is harmful to the kidneys. That would something akin to crushed oyster shells. I prefer non-medicated feed, but medicated feed is okay if your chicks are not vaccinated for cocci.

I even had a chick buyer feed the chicks human cereal and they did OK, but I don't recommend it, what was she thinking feeding babies JUNK food?
idunno.gif

But, it is sugar and grain. Makes really big human kids! They LOVE it too. My thoughts, feed them what you have if possible until you can get to the store, if it is not safe, feed them scrambled eggs for a day or so, and save that feed for later. I feel sure it will be fine, but would be best to feed them a starter for those first few weeks if you can. I think we over feed our baby chicks, as they eat usually 24 hours a day and would never do that with a mama hen. It is fine if they grow slower than we used to expect, and you can always throw in something green like Romaine or spinach (washed really well though). ETA, I forgot to add the worms are fine, but you do need a "CHICK grit" before feeding them too many, though those worms are probabaly soft enoughto digest without it since they are so little. My free roaming barn hens feed off those critters all the time, and their "grit" is whaetver they can rustle up. It is recommended to feed the chick grit starting on day 3 or so. Just a tiny bit, sprinkled like salt on the feed once a day.

I wish you the best of luck, and like our own babies, they are tougher than we think. Enjoy

HenZ
 
Last edited:
I love this forum everyone is soooo great....

I found a feed store about an hour from my work, I might be able to make it there before they close. If not, ill go with the scrambled eggs, maybe the hatchery will have a little feed they can sell me?

I can't believe they gave me the wrong food.
sad.png
I should have checked more closely but I assumed they know what I needed.....

Thanks everyone!!! I will post pictures of the babies tommorrow!!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom