First time chicken owner- So many questions....

[Chicken Heel]

I have them in the coop now and close them in at night in the brooder box and turn the heat lamp on for them. They still have a little bit of fluff on them and I had read that if they still have some fluff on them, they are not fully feathered and they should have a heat lamp on if the temperatures dip below 65. Am I being too overprotective? Would love to save the electricity if it is not needed. Temperatures are in the low 50s at night.

Based on the photos, those chicks will not have any problems with temperatures in the low 50's. It will actually make them fully feather out quicker.

 

[maggieandotis]

I would just keep the food in the coop that's what we do and the most they have ever done is spilled a bit of food but they always eat it later. With the water it can stay down in the run as long as you are letting them out every morning.

Thank you!

 

[maggieandotis]

Based on the photos, those chicks will not have any problems with temperatures in the low 50's. It will actually make them fully feather out quicker.

Awesome! We will leave it off from now on. Thank you so much.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Question 1. Is it okay to continue to give them this feed until it is gone or should I try and return it (or donate it) and switch them to grower feed or can I mix them both so the starter feed doesn't go to waste? Also, is there a brand of food that is high quality that I should be looking for?

A: You will likely get a variety of responses here, but here's mine. Generally speaking, the target protein range for ages 1-8 weeks for chicks intended for egg layers is around 20-22%, but you've made it this far on an 18% feed so I'd stick with that. The feed you have is both a starter and a grower feed. At age 9-20ish weeks, 16-18% is the normal range for protein, and you want a grower or all flock feed so they aren't consuming unnecessary amounts of protein. Basically, you can keep using the feed you have until they are close to 20 weeks old. Historically I always switched to layer feed around 17-18 weeks myself so I can integrate them into the flock. That brings me to another point though, since I have been allowing hens to hatch chicks, it's complicated the feeding for my chicks and decided to switch to an all-flock feed and simply provide calcium in the form of egg shells and oyster shells as a free-choice item in another container. If you know you won't be mixing ages/flocks in the future, layer or all-flock at an older age is fine.

Question 2. I moved my flock to the coop a couple of weeks ago (I am in southern California) with a heat lamp in the brooder box at night. I have been putting my chicks up there at night and when I do, I put their food and water in there with them. Should I be doing this?

A: No need to leave food and water in there with them at night as they are sleeping and won't need it, just don't leave the food in a location that it will attract predators or rodents. I leave my feed in the coop to deter rodents, and leave the water out of the coop to keep the bedding dry (personal choice). Your coop looks pretty secure, so I'd just leave it out. No need for a heat lamp at that age unless it's dipping below 45/50 degrees at night. You just don't want to go from cozy extra warm coop one night to super cold, just like humans acclimate to winter temps, birds need to acclimate too.

Question 3. Do roosters need a different diet?

A: This circles back to question one. Many folks historically fed layer feed to the entire flock, roo included, but in theory this is not kind to his kidneys due to excessive calcium. This can be fixed by using an all flock feed and providing egg shells or oyster shells as a free choice option in a separate container for the hens. This is a personal choice, really. My roo is 4 and has lived his whole life thus far on layer feed.

Question 4: What do you recommend as treats? Are there some trees that are poisonous to my sweet chicks?

A: I'm not from your area and therefore not accustomed to your flora, but generally speaking they can eat anything we can except avocado pits and peels, green/raw potatoes and peels, tomato leaves/stems, sugar/candy/chocolate, citrus (affects calcium absorption but not actually poisonous), dry beans, junk food (white bread, chips, fatty foods, etc), or anything moldy or rotten.

Some folks share the thought that because chicken feed is so scientifically formulated, there is no need for treats, and that is true to some extent, but treats are still a lot of fun and a great way to train your flock. I give my chickens veggie scraps, organic scratch grains, and mealworms. Just like with humans, treats should be in moderation. If it gets cold at night, some scratch grains before bed is a good way to keep them warm as digesting warms their bodies.

If they are not getting to free range or have access to dirt, they also need to be given free choice grit once you decide to give them treats. Grit is necessary for digesting food, but a chicken exclusively fed chicken feed would not need grit. When providing grit for the first time to chicks, monitor their intake because they are still learning and may try to eat it like food. Let them eat a little then take it away, at least until they learn some moderation.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have them in the coop now and close them in at night in the brooder box and turn the heat lamp on for them. They still have a little bit of fluff on them and I had read that if they still have some fluff on them, they are not fully feathered and they should have a heat lamp on if the temperatures dip below 65. Am I being too overprotective? Would love to save the electricity if it is not needed. Temperatures are in the low 50s at night.

So what you're calling a brooder box is the actual coop. At 6 weeks old you absolutely do not need heat on them, especially inside the coop and with those temps. Ideally you want to gradually lower the temperatures so maybe for a couple days put a lower wattage bulb (like a regular, non-LED bulb) in there to transition them over.

As far as the other questions:
1) You can continue to feed them starter (or grower, or all flock) from this point on. Once they are at laying age, you can feed layer, or stay with all flock, due to the rooster.

3) Excess calcium (which layer has) can possibly cause organ damage to non laying birds, which would include chicks and roosters.

4) This is from wikipedia as far as your pepper tree: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schinus_terebinthifolia#Toxicity Sounds like it'd be better to err on the side of caution and not feed it.

 

[I'mNotFowling4that1]

Hi,

First, I love this community! Everyone here is just awesome. It's so cool.

Question 1. I am a first time chicken owner and I went to one of our local feed stores and asked them what they recommended for our 6 week old chicks. I had bought a 50lb bag of the attached and had gone through it as I was raising 13 chicks for both myself and sister-in-law. Now I am down to (5) pullets and (1) sweet, sweet BO cockerel. The feed store told me to buy the same bag I had previously and to feed that to them for the first 4 months. After reading more about it, I am wondering if I should have found a store that sells grower feed. is it okay to continue to give them this feed until it is gone or should I try and return it (or donate it) and switch them to grower feed or can I mix them both so the starter feed doesn't go to waste? Also, is there a brand of food that is high quality that I should be looking for?

Question 2. I moved my flock to the coop a couple of weeks ago (I am in southern California) with a heat lamp in the brooder box at night. I have been putting my chicks up there at night and when I do, I put their food and water in there with them. Should I be doing this?

Question 3. Do roosters need a different diet? Hoping I can feed them all the same thing. I am raising them for eggs only. When they eventually die, our plan is to bury them and say a few kind words.

Question 4: What do you recommend as treats? There is a big Brazilian Pepper tree that is right about their coop. Occasionally, a leaf or two flies into the coop and they seem to really enjoy them so the past couple of mornings I have gathered up a handful and tossed into the coop and they love it. But as I was typing my other questions for you, I thought maybe I shouldn't be doing that. Are there some trees that are poisonous to my sweet chicks?

I know I will have more questions but that is enough for now. Thank you all so much! Maggie
View attachment 2128768

Have you tried digging in the local dumpster...chickens love all the thrown away food

 

[maggieandotis]

Question 1. Is it okay to continue to give them this feed until it is gone or should I try and return it (or donate it) and switch them to grower feed or can I mix them both so the starter feed doesn't go to waste? Also, is there a brand of food that is high quality that I should be looking for?

A: You will likely get a variety of responses here, but here's mine. Generally speaking, the target protein range for ages 1-8 weeks for chicks intended for egg layers is around 20-22%, but you've made it this far on an 18% feed so I'd stick with that. The feed you have is both a starter and a grower feed. At age 9-20ish weeks, 16-18% is the normal range for protein, and you want a grower or all flock feed so they aren't consuming unnecessary amounts of protein. Basically, you can keep using the feed you have until they are close to 20 weeks old. Historically I always switched to layer feed around 17-18 weeks myself so I can integrate them into the flock. That brings me to another point though, since I have been allowing hens to hatch chicks, it's complicated the feeding for my chicks and decided to switch to an all-flock feed and simply provide calcium in the form of egg shells and oyster shells as a free-choice item in another container. If you know you won't be mixing ages/flocks in the future, layer or all-flock at an older age is fine.

Question 2. I moved my flock to the coop a couple of weeks ago (I am in southern California) with a heat lamp in the brooder box at night. I have been putting my chicks up there at night and when I do, I put their food and water in there with them. Should I be doing this?

A: No need to leave food and water in there with them at night as they are sleeping and won't need it, just don't leave the food in a location that it will attract predators or rodents. I leave my feed in the coop to deter rodents, and leave the water out of the coop to keep the bedding dry (personal choice). Your coop looks pretty secure, so I'd just leave it out. No need for a heat lamp at that age unless it's dipping below 45/50 degrees at night. You just don't want to go from cozy extra warm coop one night to super cold, just like humans acclimate to winter temps, birds need to acclimate too.

Question 3. Do roosters need a different diet?

A: This circles back to question one. Many folks historically fed layer feed to the entire flock, roo included, but in theory this is not kind to his kidneys due to excessive calcium. This can be fixed by using an all flock feed and providing egg shells or oyster shells as a free choice option in a separate container for the hens. This is a personal choice, really. My roo is 4 and has lived his whole life thus far on layer feed.

Question 4: What do you recommend as treats? Are there some trees that are poisonous to my sweet chicks?

A: I'm not from your area and therefore not accustomed to your flora, but generally speaking they can eat anything we can except avocado pits and peels, green/raw potatoes and peels, tomato leaves/stems, sugar/candy/chocolate, citrus (affects calcium absorption but not actually poisonous), dry beans, junk food (white bread, chips, fatty foods, etc), or anything moldy or rotten.

Some folks share the thought that because chicken feed is so scientifically formulated, there is no need for treats, and that is true to some extent, but treats are still a lot of fun and a great way to train your flock. I give my chickens veggie scraps, organic scratch grains, and mealworms. Just like with humans, treats should be in moderation. If it gets cold at night, some scratch grains before bed is a good way to keep them warm as digesting warms their bodies.

If they are not getting to free range or have access to dirt, they also need to be given free choice grit once you decide to give them treats. Grit is necessary for digesting food, but a chicken exclusively fed chicken feed would not need grit. When providing grit for the first time to chicks, monitor their intake because they are still learning and may try to eat it like food. Let them eat a little then take it away, at least until they learn some moderation.

Thank you so much for your thorough replies. This is tremendously helpful. I was listening to the Chicken Whisperer podcast and they confirmed much of what you said regarding treats. For the oyster shell, how do you keep the roo from eating it? They are all in that little "house" together? My husband is going to build a fenced in yard for them outside the coop/run but do they all cohabitat together inside the coop/run at night? Sorry. Still learning my terminology. Hope this makes since. BTW, my roo seems especially sweet. He is the most calm and affectionate of all my chicks. They all are sweet but he is almost like a dog where he will just jump up on my lap and fall asleep as I pet him. It's so amazing.

 

[maggieandotis]

So what you're calling a brooder box is the actual coop. At 6 weeks old you absolutely do not need heat on them, especially inside the coop and with those temps. Ideally you want to gradually lower the temperatures so maybe for a couple days put a lower wattage bulb (like a regular, non-LED bulb) in there to transition them over.

As far as the other questions:
1) You can continue to feed them starter (or grower, or all flock) from this point on. Once they are at laying age, you can feed layer, or stay with all flock, due to the rooster.

3) Excess calcium (which layer has) can possibly cause organ damage to non laying birds, which would include chicks and roosters.

4) This is from wikipedia as far as your pepper tree: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schinus_terebinthifolia#Toxicity Sounds like it'd be better to err on the side of caution and not feed it.

Thank you!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

For the oyster shell, how do you keep the roo from eating it?

You don't. He shouldn't be terribly interested in it - might try it out, but it doesn't really do anything for him, so he should leave it alone.

 

[Fluttershy17]

I agree feed all flock and give calcium supplements for the hens.