Chicks in the winter, when can they go out side??

[FortCluck]

That's fine if you aren't labeling and selling to the public.
Truly organic needs to be started at hatch.

No reason for DE at all, unless your grains/feed have bugs in it.

You took the words right out of my mouth. Organic has to be started from day one.

 

[aart]

Before they're old enough to lay, they only need the grit.

Digestive granite grit should be introduced at about 1 week old.
http://www.jupefeeds-sa.com/documents/GraniteGrit.pdf.
I bought about a 2 gallon bag of granite grit from the local mill, they put it in their chicken scratch. Ran it thru a colander with 1/16" holes. Bagged the smaller stuff for the chicks and sprinkle some over a chunk of sod in the brooder during the second week.

 

[NatJ]

Organic has to be started from day one.

For labeling purposes, yes. But switching to organic feed later will certainly not hurt the chickens or their eggs!

 

[FortCluck]

For labeling purposes, yes. But switching to organic feed later will certainly not hurt the chickens or their eggs!

But they won't be true organic. That's what I was getting at. Any chicken feed will never hurt a chicken or it's eggs, that's why it's called chicken feed.

 

[NatJ]

But they won't be true organic. That's what I was getting at. Any chicken feed will never hurt a chicken or it's eggs, that's why it's called chicken feed.

I read it wrong the first time, then understood it the second time. My post was to clarify in case anyone else read it wrong, the way I did the first time.

And some "chicken feed" is NOT good for some chickens--obvious examples being layer feed not good for roosters or baby chicks, and scratch grains not a complete diet for any chicken.

 

[FortCluck]

I read it wrong the first time, then understood it the second time. My post was to clarify in case anyone else read it wrong, the way I did the first time.

And some "chicken feed" is NOT good for some chickens--obvious examples being layer feed not good for roosters or baby chicks, and scratch grains not a complete diet for any chicken.

Scratch grains aren't a feed to me. They're something you give as a treat, but I have seen some use it as feed.

Layer feed to roosters is controversial. I have heard of some people using it and it works for them. If you have chicks that were raised by broodies, they eat whatever their mom eats.

I choose to feed a chicken feed that is for everyone in the flock.

 

[NatJ]

FortCluck, I agree with pretty much all you're saying; but there's such a mix of experience levels on this board, I figured it was worth stating the "obvious." (Side effect of dealing with small children regularly, and of reading newcomers' posts: I start to assume nothing is too obvious to state.)

 

[FortCluck]

FortCluck, I agree with pretty much all you're saying; but there's such a mix of experience levels on this board, I figured it was worth stating the "obvious." (Side effect of dealing with small children regularly, and of reading newcomers' posts: I start to assume nothing is too obvious to state.)

I forget sometimes that there are new people on here or some days I'm really tired and forget who I am talking to. I was once new and completely oblivious to everything in the chicken world. Now I'm hatching chicks that come from my own fertile eggs... It's amazing the knowledge you get on BYC, it has helped me a lot.

 

[ElaynasChick]

Thanks for all the tips, does the scratch recipe look good? and yes i already introduced them to grit like five weeks ago.

 

[NatJ]

Thanks for all the tips, does the scratch recipe look good?

This one?

Also for scratch i was thinking of making my own instead of buying a pre made bag, i was thinking of putting: whole corn, black oil sunflower seeds, non rolled oats, and add food grade Diaitmatious earth so it is lightly dusted on the scratch, does this sound like a good scratch recipe to use instead of a pre made one?? also when do you start feeding scratch??

As long as it's just a small part of what they eat each day, that mixture should do as well as any other (but you might as well skip the diatomaceous earth--eating it doesn't help the chickens, and breathing it can be bad for them and for you.)

If the chickens are eating a complete feed, then scratch is just a treat, and what goes into it doesn't matter much. Equally good treats can come from your own kitchen--carrot peels and apple cores and the crust of someone's sandwich and the piece of cheese that fell on the floor and so forth (but they do not store well for later!)

If the scratch is a large part of what the chickens eat, then it has to be more carefully balanced, and I don't know enough about chicken nutrition to help with that.