Feeding

[Blessing]

I have a 3day old chick and its currently eating chick crumb. I was wondering if I should feed the chick a hard boiled egg each day or is it okay just eating chick crumb?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Eggs are nature's perfect food for chickens, as the egg yolk is what the chick eats.

Anytime you wish to feed your chickens eggs it is always a wonderful thing. People just think of it as too eggspensive.

Often when chickens are ill people recommend to feed scrambled or boiled eggs to help boost them back to health (after they receive whatever medication is recommended).

My experience is that tiny chicks often refuse treats though, so whatever you try, try a tiny amount so as not to waste the food.

 

[3riverschick]

If you are feeding that chick anything other than crumbles and water, you need to furnish it with a small bowl of chick grit. You can get some from the feed store or Tractor Supply (TSC) real cheap. Make sure it is chick grit, not adult grit. Personally? That chick crumble is a complete food at 3 days old. Nuts the little thing fed on its yolk for the 1st 2 days. Wait till it is a little older and its digestive tract a bit more "experienced" before feeding it treats
. Like 1 1/2 weeks. If you want to urge the chick off to a strong start, there are other ways at this early age. I put Poultry Nutri-Drench in my chick's water or the 1st 2 weeks. It s absorbed directly into the bloodstream, no digesting. Takes the stress off the baby chick. Here's a fuller explanation of this superb product. Post number one. Stress is stress whatever the cause.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/746509/how-to-deal-with-travel-stress-in-baby-chicks
If your feed store is out of Poultry Nutri-Drench ( 6.99 for 4 oz. at TSC), you can use Pet Nutri-Drops ( 9.99 for about 6 oz. at TSC) with the same usage and dosage instructions in the URL above per a conversation I had wit the science techs at Bovidr Labs which makes both products.
So many times we want to "treat" our baby chicks. A well functioning G.I tract is better than one challenged by new feed at this age. The more efficiently the chick can uptake the nutrients you provide, the more good things it will have available to help its developing body systems mature the best way possible.
It's not about what you give them, it's about how they can best uptake the nutrtion.
Put 2 cc's of whichever Bovidr product you choose in a gallon of water.
That's a maintenance dose and will help get your chicks off to strong start.
Best Success,
Karen and he Light Sussex
in western PA