Fudz

[christatothemax]

Alright. Anyone use Chewy? I've heard great things for dogs... but not sure for chicken feed? In a few weeks I am getting baby chicks (first time ever raising chickens). Should I feed 'em this or this... or neither?

https://www.chewy.com/browns-encore-natural-chick-starter/dp/122345

https://www.chewy.com/scratch-peck-feeds-naturally-free/dp/159794

 

[HuffleClaw]

It will be cheaper (most likely) to just make a trip to Tractor Supply or any feed store and buy chick starter grower. If choosing between those 2, I would get the first option. The second one I wouldn’t get at all until they were older.

 

[Folly's place]

Find a feed store!!!
Online ordering doesn't let you look at mill dates, and with chicken feeds, it matters.
Unlike having 'sell by' dates on each bag, chicken feed has a 'mill date', and I don't buy anything that's older than four or five weeks from milling, and use it up within another four weeks, max.
How many chicks? standard sized or bantams? Meat birds?
For many breed types, you can estimate three pounds of feed per pound of body weight gain per bird. Some will be more, some less, and growth rates vary too.
So, for three chicks, don't buy the 50 pound bag, and for ten+ chicks, don't buy the little bag, especially if it's and older bag. My local feed store has feeds that are six months old, and claims that it's all fine. I don't buy that stuff.
Feeds made of whole grains tend to be eaten selectively, so some birds will eat the yummy stuff and leave the rest, unbalancing their diet. I avoid whole grain diets for that reason.
There's no legal standard for 'natural' in animal feeds, at least. It's a marketing term having no meaning. And chickens are omnivores, not herbivores, so the reasons there are no animal products in their feeds are marketing, cost, and avoiding issues with BSE.
Buy fresh, store it in metal containers in the original bag, and have fun with your chicks!
Mary

 

[christatothemax]

How many chicks? standard sized or bantams? Meat birds?

Six chicks, regular, egg layers.

 

[Folly's place]

So maybe a fifty pound bag, or forty pounds, depending on your brand choice, if the mill date is good. Mary

 

[123RedBeard]

For only six chicks ... they are not gonna eat very much the first month, buy a small bag locally of chick starter ... as adults, they will eat about 1/4 pound of feed per chicken, per day ...

 

[Folly's place]

It depends; I was thinking of what I do, which is Flock Raiser forever, for everyone. Medicated chick starter for ten weeks is still about twenty pounds of feed. At our local feed stores, there are limited choices in FRESH feeds especially.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Sorry! I haven't had only six birds, or bought small feed bags, in decades. Must regroup here!
Mary

 

[123RedBeard]

Yes, but ... how long will it take six chicks to eat up the 40-50 pound sack? How "fresh" will the last days food be, even if bought at 4 weeks "old"?

 

[Folly's place]

I agree with you, see above. An error on my part!
Mary