How much crumble feed should I buy????

[clarkechick]

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I think that the comment about the man on crack was referring to the man at the feed store advising me... not you!

 

[HoldensLandingChickGirl]

Go with the 50 pound bag - our 21 chicks are 6 weeks old and are deeply into the 2nd 50 pound bag already. They went through the first 50 pound bag in 5 weeks, so 21 baby chicks ate 10 pounds of food a week for the first 5 weeks of life.

 

[Reyvaughn]

There was a topic on this recently, and I was so proud that my guys and girls weren't eating nearly as much as some others'. Ha! Not now.

My young group (8 2wk old LF, 2 4wk old banties, 2 4wk old LF, 2 6wk old banties and one 8wk old SS that won't leave the brooder - that's 15 chicks) eats 7lbs+ every 2 days, easy. My 24 8-16wk old boys eat 7lbs+ a day and they free range daily (rain or shine). I fill my 30lb feeder every 3rd or 4th day for 34 pullets ranging from 8-12wks. The overall break down is about 50lbs in 3-4 days with 73 chicks ranging from 2wks to 12 weeks.

 

[gogoalie]

Ok, we're talkin' chicks here, & chick crumbles, people, not grower pellets...& I've read that the first 20 days, you feed them crumbles, & then after that you give them grower pellets, & yes, I'll be buyin' 50# of grower pellets, as I know that they'll go through that like a hot knife through butter, but how many pounds of crumble, for 20 days, will 12 chicks need? I'm guessin' 10 pounds, perhaps? As a grown chicken will require, what 4oz a day times that by 20 days & you get 80oz of food for 20 days (or 5 lb). I know that chicks don't require 4 oz a day, maybe a .10 of that? so that would be 8 oz of crumbles per chick per 20 days, multiplied by 12 would be 12 lbs of crumbles, according to my math...throw in some miscalulations, & I'd say 15lbs of crumbles would be sufficient, no?

 

[dldolan]

I have noticed that some feed stores say "grower", and mean the same as "chick starter". "Grower" can also refer to feed for meaties. Medicated Chick starter for 12 weeks, then the chicks are in with my big hens, so they nibble off the layer pellets and the hens nibble on the chick starter, which I keep them on until 16-20 weeks. (Medicated to help reduce the cocci load--which is so very ugly to see when they get really sick. They hemorrhage out...

Free-ranging cuts my costs almost in half in the summer... Chickens too busy catching bugs, scratching up grains, etc!

My ten (10) nine-weekers out on a first frolic...

 

[fried green eggs]

Metal trash cans if kept on cement or dirt can mold feed at bottom of can but plastic trash cans will keep feed a long time but I agree it should be used within 6 months.

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x2

We store ours in a tightly sealing metal trash can designed to keep bird seed in. If you can't find a locking one, you can get a bungee to slide through the lid handle and attach it to the can handles to discourage critters from getting into the food.

 

[Tala]

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There are a lot of different terms at different feed stores and marketed by different brands.

For example TSC sells Dumor chick starter 16% and chick starter/grower 20% -- both are crumbles. Also Layena Flock Raiser 20% (my personal preference) usually in crumbles. I don't ever buy the "starter" stuff.
The "grower" stuff says right on the bag it's for starting and growing chicks of various breeds (chicken chicks, turkey chicks, meatie chicks, etc.) so I keep it simple and just buy the one kind in the big bag.
Everyone can eat grower (or Flock Raiser) even the layers, they just need a separate calcium supplement (oyster shell) so that makes it REALLY simple if you free range various ages.
Everyone can also eat "chick starter" so buy the big bag and just feed till it's out.

The only thing you don't want to do is feed the layer (with calcium in it) to the babies who aren't laying yet. You may want to avoid feeding the medicated starter to your layers, but I never buy medicated feed so it's not a consideration for me.

 

[Anianna]

Quote:
x2

We store ours in a tightly sealing metal trash can designed to keep bird seed in. If you can't find a locking one, you can get a bungee to slide through the lid handle and attach it to the can handles to discourage critters from getting into the food.


That's good to know. I've never had that problem with the metal cans, but we keep them on wooden pallets in the barn or indoors on linoleum. The problem with plastic is that mice, rats, and other critters can chew into it, even the heavy duty totes.

 

[Cryssie_Bou]

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we received our 25 meaties yesterday so its gonna be an interesting journey and i have another 20 coming in july which are already spoken for


Cryssie

 

[Reyvaughn]

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I was talking crumble - mine still get crumble. They will until they hit 16 weeks. When I had the first 37 chicks, I went through 50lbs in about 2 weeks. Yes, they wasted a lot and they ate a lot. I'd get 50lbs and feed it to them until it's gone. 50lbs should last them about a month if you go by my 37 going through 50lbs in around 2 weeks. Once they get through the first week, they eat more and waste more - as with each week after.

What I don't get is why you are going to switch them to grower pellets after 20 days. On the back of the bags and in the books, it says to feed starter until they are 10wks, then switch to Grower/Finisher. Maybe that's why everyone is confused about why you think you need so little?