Emergency Substitute for Chick Starter

[antiqsolo]

I will.. won't even take them off it if the storm decides to wait another day! At most it might be two days, I think they have enough starter for until tomorrow night anyhow. Just wanted to be prepared.

 

[Eps32]

Even when I don't have chicks or am not expecting them I keep an extra 50lb bag of chick starter in the barn and it's come in handy more then once just a good idea good luck

 

[debid]

Even when I don't have chicks or am not expecting them I keep an extra 50lb bag of chick starter in the barn and it's come in handy more then once just a good idea good luck

Wouldn't it spoil?

I put my hens on 20% starter/grower when expecting chicks and just offer oyster shell free choice. This way, I can get the 50# bag and not run out or have it go rancid before they get through it. The hens don't mind the extra rich diet one bit

 

[Eps32]

Wouldn't it spoil?
I keep mine in a bin with a top and never have a problem but I do hatch a lot of chicks so I do rotate frequently but I've had it sit there six months unopened bag no problems
I put my hens on 20% starter/grower when expecting chicks and just offer oyster shell free choice. This way, I can get the 50# bag and not run out or have it go rancid before they get through it.

 

[Eps32]

I keep it in a bin with a lid I hatch a lot of chicks so usually I frequently rotate but I've gone 6 months on an unopened bag with no problems

 

[Jrose]

If it's just for 1-2 days, you don't really need to worry about protein content. I wouldn't keep them on a low protein diet for a week! But overnight is NOT going to hurt them. If you're 'really' worried about it, make them some oatmeal with a few scrambled eggs in it

If you have grains and seeds like quinoa, rice, flax, sesame, sunflower, etc- you can grind them in the blender until they're bite sized for the peeps. If your'e really enthusiastic about it, you can easily hop on one of those nutrition data websites and see what percentage protein a given food is; a quick little Excel/Numbers spread sheet will help you calculate what ratios of which foods produce the ideal protein content < that's what I do! I've been working on making my own feed out of bulk grains for awhile now and it's been wonderful!