Help With Food for Chicks

[Kristib2pea]

Hi there! I need a little help with figuring out the right food for my baby chicks. They are 2 weeks old today. We have had them for a week and a half. The night before we got them, we went and bought Chick Starter. Well, as I was holding one of the chicks yesterday, I was looking at the bag and I realized it said for game birds- 24% protein. We have 8 grown chickens and bought this brand of chick starter since it was the same one that we use for our other chickens. I didn't think too much of it until I was at my SIL's house visiting and saw our chicks siblings. They are so tiny still compared to ours. Would the higher protein have made them grow that much faster? They had 23 chicks in a small tote brooder, small heat lamp and were feeding them cracked corn only. My 8 chicks have a much larger brooder, a heating plate and have been eating this 24% protein food since 4 days old.

I could really use some advice as to what food to feed them. I went back to the store yesterday but I think I might have again bought the wrong food. This time I bought starter/grower 18%. The person at this TSC was not any help, they are a new location and didn't have chicks this spring.

 

[Kiki]

Cracked corn is not a well balanced feed...his chicks are probably under nourished.
Your will be fine on that feed.
The starter/grower 18% is perfect.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Chicks grow fast... I was shocked at how fast when I got my first ones, so I would be more worried about your SIL's chicks being small than yours being large. Neither chicks nor chickens should be eating only cracked corn! It is not a balanced diet for them. Your set up looks great and from what I can see, the chicks look healthy!

I feed my chicks Blue Seal Multi-Flock, because I don't have an easy way to separate the feed from what the layers are getting. Nobody has any trouble with it. I believe chick starter is usually around 20% protein, but the feed I give is 18% and they are fine, so I would not worry about having fed them 24% for a week and a half. As long as they are perky and growing, I would not sweat this. Enjoy them... they grow up way too fast!

 

[Kristib2pea]

Thanks so much for the quick responses. They seem very healthy and happy so that is good.

Now what shall I do with 50 lbs of 24% protein food, lol!!

 

[Kiki]

They can eat that too...
I would just mix the two bags together.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

I would mix the bags, too.