feeding baby chick

[Loretta212]

i have a 3 day old silkie and started letting it eat and drink. seems to be doing great however it wont stop eating! should i be letting it free eat its crop is deffenintly VERY full! I am giving it a mix of chick starter, oats and grit to aid in digestion

 

[SilkieBantams]

Chicks should stop eating when they feel they're full, if the chick is still eating even if his crop is already full then keep him away from food until the food that is saved in his crop goes down for digestion then let him eat again

 

[peepblessed]

I am not an expert in this by any means but I have raised a lot of chicks and have always let them eat all they wanted but I only fed chick starter till they were a week old or so and all the water they want also. I believe it says on the chick starter label to give them free choice.

 

[CCourson05]

I would feed nothing but chick starter for the first... Week or two... Then add tge oats and grit. I get skeptical on giving things. Lol. Until they are about a month old. Just me being paranoid, I suppose.

 

[KandiandJerry]

We only give chick starter and everyone does fine...no pasty butts etc....I am afraid to give anything else...I'm afraid that it will upset their digestive system...

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

mine are little piggies too, their croups are so full I thought they would burst! But no..they are fine and active. it's amazing what they can stuff in there - now that they are growning adult feathers, and so scruffy it looks pretty, obese. I'm not giving them anything extra, other than soft things, like tomatoes,other veggies, like that, chick starter is supposed to be 100%of what they need anyway right?

 

[Loretta212]

it just made me nervous because i have raised baby birds (parrots and such) and if the crop is too full they tell you it can burst but this little piggie (supposed to be a chick lol) just loves its food !

 

[Judy]

I would offer the grit separately so he can eat what he wants and not get too much. I personally would not be mixing oats or anything else in the feed, especially when this young. If you give him only chick feed he does not even need grit. Maybe offer a little oats as a treat once or twice a day; but if you do, he should have a bowl of grit available.

They do eat an awful lot, especially when young, and their crop will get pretty big.

 

[JodyJo]

I agree, JUST starter/grower till they reach POL...if they are not eating treats etc...they don't need grit.

**For the first few weeks, then you can add treats...cut up grapes etc, then add the grit to the diet, on the side...


You can mix some water with the starter and make it a mush, mine LOVE it...
Provide lots of fresh water...