Feeding your young chicks-what not to do & what to watch out for.

[Chemguy]

Wildrose, I am so thankful to you for having posted this. Your willingness to share your experience has helped us all.

Newchick: There are different feeds available for different stages in the life of a hen. It's not the brand at issue, but rather the formulation. Feed designated as layer feed has higher levels of calcium and vitamin D. Laying hens can eliminate calcium by laying eggs (egg shell). If the hen is not laying, there is a potential for calcium levels to build up.

 

[AshleyW]

Thanks for posting this. I had no idea that this could happen either.

 

[riverpilot69]

Wildrose, I am so thankful to you for having posted this. Your willingness to share your experience has helped us all.

Newchick: There are different feeds available for different stages in the life of a hen. It's not the brand at issue, but rather the formulation. Feed designated as layer feed has higher levels of calcium and vitamin D. Laying hens can eliminate calcium by laying eggs (egg shell). If the hen is not laying, there is a potential for calcium levels to build up.

Will calcium build up cause a hen to lay to regulate her levels? It seems as if they should have a built in alarm to lay an egg if her calcium gets to high.

 

[Chemguy]

Will calcium build up cause a hen to lay to regulate her levels? It seems as if they should have a built in alarm to lay an egg if her calcium gets to high.

I don't know the answer to your question. But, I can say that I offer oyster shell free-choice to my egglaying flock. They seem to self-regulate their intake and I have observed no problems.

It's possible that the regulation only occurs at the onset of maturity. Or, perhaps more correctly, that egglaying is a very effective way to eliminate calcium. Too much calcium prior to egglaying might not be eliminated as rapidly. This would seem to go along with the urate buildup wildrose saw....calcium and urates form insoluble particles , and buildup of calcium might lead to gout (insoluble particles).

 

[bj taylor]

i have made a mistake. hoping it won't cost me my chicks. they are one wk old & on litter covered w/ paper towels. i have let them on the litter a few times because they seem to love scratching in it so much. then i worried that they would not be able to digest any litter particles they had consumed sooooo i put a little chick grit in there yesterday.
do you think that small amount of grit can cause what y'all are talking about on this thread regarding calcium build up?

 

[Imp]

I'm so sorry for your loss but I am confused. As a new "chicken mom" (so new they are not born yet, haha. I will be getting 25 babies on Monday)

Can you please share with me what exactly is the food you're talking about? I am sorry you lost your 2 hens but thank you for sharing so others, like me, will not make the same mistake.
But since I am still learning about all this I don't totally understand what happened. Thank you.

The pullets were eating "layer" type feed. Layer is made for egg producing hens/pullets. It is higher in calcium which can be harmful to non laying chickens, most especially if the are smaller/younger. It doesn't neccessarily always cause problems, but it can.
It is usually suggested that chicks stay on "starter" type feed or "grower" type feed until they start laying, then put them on the "layer".

Imp- the names might be different depending on the brand.

 

[NewChickHere]

Thank you for the answers to that for me. Now, if I keep my babies on the starter food till they lay I will just know when the first one lays an egg to switch over then? From what I read, some can lay as early as 17,18 weeks and others way later. What would I do in that case? Just go ahead and switch them all over? I am so new and there is so much info that it does get a bit confusing at times.

lol. Thank you again for your help. KIm

 

[Imp]

i have made a mistake. hoping it won't cost me my chicks. they are one wk old & on litter covered w/ paper towels. i have let them on the litter a few times because they seem to love scratching in it so much. then i worried that they would not be able to digest any litter particles they had consumed sooooo i put a little chick grit in there yesterday.
do you think that small amount of grit can cause what y'all are talking about on this thread regarding calcium build up?

I'm sure they will be fine. Chick grit does not contain excess calcium. Grit from the petstore for small cage birds may contain extra calcium.
Whenever chicks are eating items other than their "starter" feed, it is a good idea to provide chick grit. It helps them digest tough foods.

Thank you for the answers to that for me. Now, if I keep my babies on the starter food till they lay I will just know when the first one lays an egg to switch over then? From what I read, some can lay as early as 17,18 weeks and others way later. What would I do in that case? Just go ahead and switch them all over? I am so new and there is so much info that it does get a bit confusing at times.

lol. Thank you again for your help. KIm

It is not so important that the day a hen starts laying to switch her over to layer feed. So you can do a few different things.


Quote: You can do this. ...or...

Switch them all over to layer when some start laying. The extra calcium is not much of an issue at this point, they are big enough and have bigger kidneys. ...or...

Continue to feed the starter till they all start laying. ...or...

Switch them to a grower/raiser feed and offer calcium(crushed oyster shell) on the side.

Mine are on starter till they mostly are laying, then I use up the bag and then switch to layer.

Imp

 

[NewChickHere]

Thank you Imp. That helps a lot and makes me feel better as I keep learning in this new journey. I do have another question if I may? We have a little store here that gives away free bread every day that is day old. I get some every now and then and since we don't eat much bread around here, I've been freezing it thinking I could feed it to my chickens as treats. Most of it is white bread, some of it is multi grain and honey wheat etc. Is bread ok to crumble it up and throw it out there for them, even the white bread or no. I have one chicken book that say NO BREAD but I have seen a few peeps say they do it but not for their main source of nourishment of course. Thank you.

 

[Imp]

Thank you Imp. That helps a lot and makes me feel better as I keep learning in this new journey. I do have another question if I may? We have a little store here that gives away free bread every day that is day old. I get some every now and then and since we don't eat much bread around here, I've been freezing it thinking I could feed it to my chickens as treats. Most of it is white bread, some of it is multi grain and honey wheat etc. Is bread ok to crumble it up and throw it out there for them, even the white bread or no. I have one chicken book that say NO BREAD but I have seen a few peeps say they do it but not for their main source of nourishment of course. Thank you.

You got it, bread(any bread) is OK as a treat. A rough rule of thumb is keep the treats to less than 10% of their diet. This does not mean you need to weigh their treats, just a rule of thumb. And "treats" refer to anything other than their "feed". So something like dark leafy greens would be a better treat than say cake frosting.
I give my chickens almost anything I will eat. Nothing rotten, spoiled or rancid. About the only food I won't give is avocado.
Here's BYCs treat chart, a good reference.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

Imp- My thanks to the OP (wildrose)