Feeding chicks with separated ingredients experiment (title changed)

[saysfaa]

I'm planning to get some chicks soon - maybe 3 or 4 straight run heritage Rhode Island Reds and 1 or 2 Cream Legbar pullets.

I'd like to try raising them on free choice ingredients - LOTS of different ingredients.

I figure if chicks can balance their own diets as discussed here then they probably will do at least as well with different ingredients as long as all the nutrients are there. I'm hoping they can do better.

One problem is how to serve the food. I can't see a good way to have dozens of dishes out given how clumsy little chicks are. It may work to do what the researchers did in a people version of that chick experiment - instead of offering every food all the time, they offered several things at each meal then a larger amount of anything that was finished and a smaller amount of anything that was not eaten. I will be able to change their options many times through the day.

I welcome suggestions of how this might work better. And what foods to offer.

I'm thinking herbs, weeds, bugs, and meats as well as the more common things like grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Any ideas on what would be the best food as a carrier for the mineral salt?

 

[Debbie292d]

When I make mash from the starter feed for them, I put it in 4 oz pyrex bowls. Those are clear, heavy, small and won't tip, although they do learn to walk on the top so I scrape off the top an hour later and put it back in.

When they get a little bit bigger, I use the 6 oz porcelain ones like this. Again, heavy so they can't just knock them over. Same issue of them stepping on the top though.

When they get a couple months old, I start giving them a little of the fermented grains I give to the adults. For that I use sylicone loaf pans. I love those because they rarely can tip them over as when they try to scratch, they stay standing.

Here's my review of those:https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/silicone-loaf-pan-untippable-chicken-feeder.12124/

 

[Brooks_]

If cost is not an issue, Purina Flock Raiser.

 

[saysfaa]

...When they get a couple months old, I start giving them a little of the fermented grains I give to the adults. For that I use sylicone loaf pans. I love those because they rarely can tip them over as when they try to scratch, they stay standing.

Here's my review of those:https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/silicone-loaf-pan-untippable-chicken-feeder.12124/

Thank you! I have several silicone pans for making soap that I can try with the chicks. I'll try the loaf pans and muffin pans at least.

 

[saysfaa]

This project is also a step in the direction of growing my own feed for my chickens. Since I can't raise meat for them, I care about minimizing the amount of meat needed so I will start with amino acids.

Methionine is generally the hardest to provide through plant sources.

This website is my favorite source of information about nutrients in given foods. It says among the highest amounts (per "household" quantity) are found in these nuts and seeds:
Brazil nuts
Butternuts
Squash and pumpkin seeds
Black walnuts

I gathered lots of black walnuts from our trees last fall. They still need to be shelled so they should be protected from rancidity. and I also collected quite a few squash seeds last year.

From the grains, the highest amounts are in oats and buckwheat. I'm surprised wheat isn't higher. Kamut is the wheat with the highest amount at 1/3 as much. Of course, the amounts are a lot more variable than lists like this imply. Anyway, all three of these are easy for me to get.

This source gives dried spirulina is the densest source of met among plants. That reminded me of duckweed, which also has quite a lot of met. I can harvest duckweed from my pond.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

This project is also a step in the direction of growing my own feed for my chickens. Since I can't raise meat for them, I care about minimizing the amount of meat needed so I will start with amino acids.

Methionine is generally the hardest to provide through plant sources.

This website is my favorite source of information about nutrients in given foods. It says among the highest amounts (per "household" quantity) are found in these nuts and seeds:
Brazil nuts
Butternuts
Squash and pumpkin seeds
Black walnuts

I gathered lots of black walnuts from our trees last fall. They still need to be shelled so they should be protected from rancidity. and I also collected quite a few squash seeds last year.

From the grains, the highest amounts are in oats and buckwheat. I'm surprised wheat isn't higher. Kamut is the wheat with the highest amount at 1/3 as much. Of course, the amounts are a lot more variable than lists like this imply. Anyway, all three of these are easy for me to get.

This source gives dried spirulina is the densest source of met among plants. That reminded me of duckweed, which also has quite a lot of met. I can harvest duckweed from my pond.

You can also look at Methi (Fenugreek) - I planted some last year, the seeds are moderately high Met, the rest of the plant much less so.

and you should be aware that high rates of black walnut or pig walnut consumption discolor the eggs - I go thru it every year with my ducks, the yolks take on an unattractive greenish cast, not like "green eggs and ham" green, more like the green side of baby poop yellow/brown.

No different in flavor (admittedly, my sense of taste is HIGHLY impaired), baking, orhter cooking that we've noted.

 

[Perris]

instead of offering every food all the time, they offered several things at each meal

That is what I do.

change their options many times through the day

They eat little and often, so here they are getting different things every 2-3 hours

I welcome suggestions of how this might work better. And what foods to offer.

I would try to make sure you're offering something from each of these food groups each day: cereals, fruits, leafy veg, roots & tubers, pulses, nuts & seeds, meat or fish. Keep offering things even if they are ignored initially (though obviously in very small quantities to reduce waste); some good things are an acquired taste and some are only eaten when there is a perceived need for something in it, which may be occasional.

I'm thinking herbs, weeds, bugs, and meats

Put them on a weedy lawn to find their own of these. If they have a broody, she will direct them to eat some dirt too; it's a useful source of minerals.

best food as a carrier for the mineral salt?

There is enough salt in tinned sardines, if you choose to offer that fish. Mashed potato (prepared with salt as well as with butter and milk) also works for me and the chickens here.

For comparison of nutrients, I find it more useful to choose 100g as the serving size and FNDDS as the source, on the My food data site.

 

[ManueB]

I will be interested in how it works out.
I know it's not really what you are asking, but I do have a small layout suggestion.
Whenever I give a choice of different things, whether for adult or chicks, I've noticed that some chickens, or chicks, because they are slower or low in the hierarchy, won't get to eat the preferred food if it's only available in one feeder.
For your chicks my suggestion would be to put several bowls each containing small quantities of different food, rather than one type of food in each container. If you don't mix it all together but set them out side by side on the bowl, the chicks still get to pick out what they want and they have more chance of getting at it than if it was all in only one bowl.

 

[Perris]

I will be interested in how it works out.
I know it's not really what you are asking, but I do have a small layout suggestion.
Whenever I give a choice of different things, whether for adult or chicks, I've noticed that some chickens, or chicks, because they are slower or low in the hierarchy, won't get to eat the preferred food if it's only available in one feeder.
For your chicks my suggestion would be to put several bowls each containing small quantities of different food, rather than one type of food in each container. If you don't mix it all together but set them out side by side on the bowl, the chicks still get to pick out what they want and they have more chance of getting at it than if it was all in only one bowl.

good point; I do that too but didn't think to mention it.

If there is a slow or low one (young independent roos especially) it also pays to keep one small bowl back and only present that when the rest have gone off to rest and digest, in order to ensure the last bird(s) get the full range on offer.

I also forgot to mention dairy products: all sorts are good for chicks and chickens. Everything in moderation.

 

[saysfaa]

Yes. I already accommodate Mocha who doesn't compete with Nutmeg and Coco. There will be few enough chicks to monitor them pretty closely.