Feeding 9 week olds extra bread

[Lotsapaints]

I ordered 36 sr chicks from McM that came the 1st of March fed them starter for 6 weeks and the quality of the birds are really not good enough to keep more than 10. So I switched to a game bird 23% and a 16% cage crumble since most of these are for the freezer and they have this free choice. I get free bread so I'm throwing out a loaf a day and they have grass and garden excess cabbage,broccoli and cauliflower mostly right now. They look good to me and beg for more bread just how much bread can I feed them? I still want them to forage but I plan on butchering many of them right before the 4th of July. This bread is just bakery excess rye bread, brown, raisin, sourdough and bagels. They would like to give me lots more but I only wanted enough to equal 1 loaf a day.... How much is too much?

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

For chicks, I try to keep non-chick crumble foods to less than 10%. But I do let them have free access to grass, clovers, etc., once they are feathered. Anything whole grain is better than white.

I've never raised meat birds, though. I would guess that they might grow slower if they had a lot of bread, given the low protein content, but I really don't know. If cost is a concern, free bread does cut the food bill!

 

[Surehatch]

agreed

 

[Lotsapaints]

Well they are eating 50# a week of feed so a loaf a day is about right because they haven't eaten less since I've been throwing them bread. I'm just trying to fatten them up quick as possible hope to butcher the first ones @ 12 weeks. The Dellies eat grass like cows and belly up to the feeders like pigs and beg for treats.....