HELP.... SO MANY chick QUESTIONS!!!

[Wyochick98]

Hi I'm new to chickens and got 10 chick's that were 4 days old for Easter To add to our 3 old hens we acquired about a month ago
1.How long should I feed chick starter for?
2.How much should I Feed them on a daily basis? (I was told to keep food in front of them always for the first 2 months)
3. How long should I keep the heat lamp on them?
4. When can I move them in with my older 3(2 and 3 year old chickens)
5. What are the pros and cons on vaccinating?
Any other info thati haven't coveted would be helpful! Thanks

 

[evemfoster]

First to tell when to change feeds from starter, grower and then layer feeds check out this site on 'age appropriate chicken feeds'.

http://www.chickenforum.com/age-app...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

You have to make sure the chickens have feed in front of them at all times 24/7.

As for how much feed always keep food in the feeders. This will give you an idea how much they'll eat:

Chicks that will turn into 6 pound chickens need about an ounce of feed per day for the first couple weeks. A coffee scoop of feed a day.
By the time they are 19 weeks they need 3 to 4 ounces a day. That's 1/3 to 1/2 cup a day, per chicken.

If you have the ability to use apps there is a app to calculate how much feed and water chickens need. You just need to punch in the ages and number of chickens you have and it will tell you how much feed your flock needs per day. Its called Cluck-ulator. They are still working on a couple features like figures the numbers for individual breeds but the other features work well.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chickenwaterer.p5618jj

I took advantage of the cluck-ulator to figure out when my 40 pound bag of chick starter would run out ( week 9 ) and how many pounds of grower feed i would probably need to buy to make it to when the chickens will need to switch to layer feed ( 70 pounds ). Its a great app.

You keep the heat lamp on until the chicks are fully feathered out. Until the downy feathers are all gone.
But as a rule you start the chicks at 95*F and lower the temperature 5* per week. As the chicks get older they will move farther from the light. If they are in a tote where they can't get away from the light you will need to move the light further from the chicks.

When adding chicks to an existing flock i wait until they look like they are about half grown. But never sooner than 6 weeks. It is recommended you put the new chicks where the old ones can see them for a week before putting the birds together in the same inclosure.

Vaccinating is a expensive choice for only a few birds. When you have a small home flock its rare for the chicks to get sick past the one month quarantine time that is recommended to help prevent illness spreading. So going to the expense of buying vaccine and doing it yourself could be prohibitive when the vaccine comes in 100 chick doses.

When buying chicks from a large farm that supply's stores the chicks are usually vaccinated at the hatchery before you get them.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

1.How long should I feed chick starter for?-Until they are 8-18 weeks. If you are feeding them a 18% protein chick starter then they can stay on that until they reach 18 weeks. If they are eating a 20% chick starter, they need to be switched to a 18% grower at 8 weeks.

2.How much should I Feed them on a daily basis? (I was told to keep food in front of them always for the first 2 months)- I keep food available all the time, no matter how old they are.

3. How long should I keep the heat lamp on them?- Until they reach one month.

4. When can I move them in with my older 3(2 and 3 year old chickens)-It depends on how you are going to introduce them. If you are doing the "see-but-don't-touch" method, they can go out around 9 weeks. If not, wait until they reach about 12 weeks.

5. What are the pros and cons on vaccinating?-I've never vaccinated. Instead I use certain herbs which act naturally as vaccinations.

 

[hxgumdrop]

iv not vacinated mine but i put apple cinder vinager in their water once a week and deworming powder is mixed into their feed every six months for a week.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

iv not vacinated mine but i put apple cinder vinager in their water once a week and deworming powder is mixed into their feed every six months for a week.

I use apple cider vinegar too.

 

[zebra2u]

what does the apple cider do? And when do you start adding it?
Thanks!

 

[hxgumdrop]

It helps with digestion and makes the stomach less friendly for unwanted bugs or viruses. iv been giving it to mine from hatching as thats what the farm where i got them from said to do

 

[ann11e]

At what age do I do this to my chicks when they arrive? Also how often do u add this to the water and feed so I know to do my older hens x

 

[ann11e]

I got told to let my year old hens back into the pen with the chicks at 1-2 weeks old as mumma hen will keep them safe will this be ok?

 

[hxgumdrop]

At what age do I do this to my chicks when they arrive? Also how often do u add this to the water and feed so I know to do my older hens x

can start from hatching. i add it to the water once a week. the bottle should say how much to mix but i think mine says 5ml per 1ltr if i remember correctly