I had to clean out the brooder today so I collected all 25 babies into a large rubbermaid container.. lined it with a towel and then covered it 1/2 way with another towel.. it took me a whole 10 minutes to clean up the brooder and change the water and I added a small paper bowl filled with feed in addition to thier already full regular feeder.....when I took off the towel to my surprise they were all sleeping... it was much easier to put them back into the brooder than taking them out!!! They were a little hesitant at first seems they did not like the new shavings I had put into the brooder but as soon as they saw thier food they ripped into it as if they haden't eaten in weeks!!! is it possible I am not feeding them enough or was it that they had fallen asleep and automatically look for food when they wake up?? They easily go thru two mason jars worth of food a day and there was plenty on the bottom of the brooder when I cleaned it. I just started to feed them yourgert and eggs which the love and they make a total mess out of the sand I put in there they are just over two weeks old...
I've found chicks are alot like little kids. They play with their food. They swish it out of the feeder for fun or peck it out of the bigger feeder to watch it come out of the holes or tip the feeder over. I have some 10 wk olds that like to do that. I ended up tieing it down with a bungie cord. That stopped it being tipped over but they can empy a gallion feeder in and hour. Needless to say not all of what they play with gets eaten. Good thing is they do grow out of it lol.
How old are they? I'm noticing a major growth spurt around 8 days with my new chicks. Seems like I'm constantly refilling their food bowl! Greedy little ones
Don't feel to bad, I have 75 hens going on 9 weeks and they're eating about 7 pounds a day. Local feed store sells food for $20.50 a bag that they make, yet it's sold at Wal Mart for $14.50. Guess where I buy my feed?
Our chicks will cluster together at night. If I shine a white light on them, they get up and head straight for the feeder every time. It's so funny.
Quote:Yup, probably made in China. Wonder what's in it Personally, I would spring for the local stuff, or organic.
Yeah, amazing how much the little buggers seem to eat. I have come to realize a lot of it is wasted but still, they are little eatin-poopin-sleepin-eatin.....machines.
yep sounds about right eating , pooing , sleeping little critters. They tear into food like you have never fed them.
