Chicks eating bedding

[Emmeran]

Are you suggesting half their diet be scratch? I'm new at this, but that is counter to everything I have read. Good feed is formulated as a sole ration, minus the calcium if using an all flock feed. Scratch is a treat.

Sorry if I misled you. My chickens have a very large foraging area and I feed them comparatively except during the few hard months of the year (deep snow). They also get kitchen scraps (except meat which will draw predators).

We feed them a 50/50 mix of All Flock/Scratch and sow it across their forage area to encourage them.

We don't want them to have a factory diet or overeat; we've rescued far too many of those types of birds. For calcium we supply baked and crushed egg shells which they only eat when they feel the need.

I try to let them be as wild as they wish and it seems to revitalize even our oldest rescue hens. I also realize that the feed companies have a vested interest in making us believe our birds can only survive with what they sell.

 

[tsperry88]

Sorry if I misled you. My chickens have a very large foraging area and I feed them comparatively except during the few hard months of the year (deep snow). They also get kitchen scraps (except meat which will draw predators).

We feed them a 50/50 mix of All Flock/Scratch and sow it across their forage area to encourage them.

We don't want them to have a factory diet or overeat; we've rescued far too many of those types of birds. For calcium we supply baked and crushed egg shells which they only eat when they feel the need.

I try to let them be as wild as they wish and it seems to revitalize even our oldest rescue hens. I also realize that the feed companies have a vested interest in making us believe our birds can only survive with what they sell.

I wish I could free range, but I tried it and lost 12 chickens to foxes. When I can electric fence off a few acres, I will try again. I think I may have derailed the thread

 

[Tamdog]

Hate to be a downer here... but my baby chicks eat the pine shavings.

 

[Chickenhappy8708]

Mine do to, but I assume its better than plastic?

 

[Tamdog]

Mine do to, but I assume its better than plastic?

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I don't know, I never ate plastic so I can't compare

 

[Emmeran]

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I don't know, I never ate plastic so I can't compare

On the other hand - I've eaten paper and the worst thing that happened was a very disapproving look from my teacher...

 

[Chickenhappy8708]

Uggg, I hate it when one of my friends eats paper, he just eats sheets of it

The worst we ever got was a sub calling us a cute couple... Never.

 

[BethBerry]

This is the pets at home grit.

the bird grit from pets at home has added calcium so not appropriate for the chicks.

I went and bought some this morning so the chicks are fine. A quick question though - do you think the pine shavings are too big for the chicks?
Thanks,
Beth

 

[tsperry88]

I went and bought some this morning so the chicks are fine. A quick question though - do you think the pine shavings are too big for the chicks?
Thanks,
Beth

No. The bigger shaving have less fines and less to eat. Those look about standard size for a brooder.

 

[Nicsbackyardchicks]

I went and bought some this morning so the chicks are fine. A quick question though - do you think the pine shavings are too big for the chicks?
Thanks,
Beth

Nope, they are fine. Did you get the grit?