Do indoor chicks grow faster vs free range chicks ?

[Faraz1]

So i have noticed that the chicks that i raise indoors, firstly hatching via an incubator and then keeping for 4 weeks in a brooder grow up much bigger/fatter compared with chicks raised under a broody and allowed to free range.

Ofcourse the chicks raised under a broody are much more active and inquisitive, however the indoor chicks dont loose much and manage to adjust quickly to the outdoors later on.

Is it just my perception or are the free range chicks healthier and grow slower because they are running around the whole day and eating worms/insects/grass in addition to chick crumb whereas indoor chicks are just on chick crumb + grit.

 

[Tonyroo]

Indoor chicks aren't stressed and have food and water available 24/7. So it makes them stronger than outdoor chicks at early stages of there life.

 

[Faraz1]

But is that better for long term development of the chickens ? Or doesnt it really make a difference ?

 

[bhaugh]

I've found just the opposite. Chicks feather out faster and grow faster

 

[Tonyroo]

But is that better for long term development of the chickens ? Or doesnt it really make a difference ?

From my experience my chicks grew up strong in overall health with zero health issues.

What's considered longterm to you?

 

[FC16]

I've found just the opposite. Chicks feather out faster and grow faster

Yeah me too. The chicks I kept indoors didn’t fully feather out until around 6 weeks, it seemed to take forever. Whereas my current 6 week old chicks have been outside since around 2 weeks old, and they were fully feathered by about 3.5 weeks old which was amazing to me.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I get what I consider healthy chicks both ways. When they grow up they are active, lay eggs, chase bugs, scratch, raise chicks if they go broody and I let them hatch, and can fly up to and down from a roost. They act like chickens. I'm not sure what your definition of healthy is. My definition does not include laying the biggest egg they can or being so big they can't fly down from a roost without being in danger of hurting their legs or joints. Size is not a health criteria for me except I don't want them too big.

You may manage your broody hens differently than I do. I make an 18% protein Starter available to them and the chicks eat some of that. But most of the day they are out foraging for a lot of what they eat. My brooder raised chicks only get the 18% protein Starter, I do not let then forage or feed them treats. It's not about what is in one bite, it's total grams of protein they eat in a day, but the brooder raised chicks may be getting more protein than the foraging chicks. That does not mean the foraging chicks don't get a good balanced diet with everything they need, they do, but their diet may not be as protein heavy as the brooder raised chicks. I typically have my brooder raised chicks out foraging at either 5 weeks or 8 weeks, depending on circumstances. Most of my broody hens wean their chicks in that age window and the chicks continue to forage for a lot of their food.

There is no doubt in my mind that my broody raised chicks get a lot more exercise than the brooder raised chicks. That burns up energy and slows down their growth compared to brooder chicks. That early growth of brooder chicks sticks with them, their bones and framework are bigger and that kind of sticks with them for life. There are studies that show early nutrition has an effect on the chick's final size.

I think your observation that your brooder raised chicks do grow larger and don't lose that much when they start foraging is correct. That size difference probably stays with them the rest of their lives, everything else being equal. But to me size does not translate to healthy.

 

[Kiraeh]

I had some feed store chicks last year and I gave half of them to a hen I knew would be accommodating. The brooder chicks did grow and feather faster(I usually run a cooler brooder) but by the time they were grown I couldn't tell the difference. It was quite noticable at three weeks though.

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

My experience for indoor Vs outdoor growth is that my outdoor bird develop faster. However, I do not have a free-range setup both setups are identical both indoor and outdoor.

 

[The Birb King]

I always say it is better to let the broody hen raise the chicks. The chicks have a better and happier life and just know better how to act like chickens. But indoor chicks get fatter probably because they have a limited place to roam so they are not getting as much exercise and they always have food and water available, which they would be more focused on.