Is it ok for my 8 week old chicks to be eating damp chick starter?

[Pet Duck Boy]

It's Florida....so the humidity is always high. There's always a good amount of dew forming everywhere in the morning, whether it be the grass, feeder, etc.. It normally makes the feed a tad damp, not soaking...but enough for it to clump together. The chicks seem to enjoy it better than the dry feed, they swallow the clumps whole as it makes it easier for them to eat more. My feeder is a bucket with holes cut near the lid, turned upside down and glued to a plant baisn. Only the feed that makes it in the basin gets damp. The feed inside the bucket stays nice and dry. Will this be a problem?

 

[Ridgerunner]

If it gets moldy, it is a huge problem and you can wind up with dead chicks. If it does not get moldy, it is not a problem. As you said, they seem to like the wet feed.

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

That's right...I forgot about mold, should I empty out the wet part just to be safe?

 

[ranchhand]

I had a horrible experience with moldy feed last year, please be very diligent about it.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I'm in Florida as well.

You really want to try to keep the feeders where they cannot get directly wet. A little damp from the morning dew/fog won't hurt anything IF they are regularly consuming the feed and it has a chance to dry during the heat of the day. Over the years I've learned not to keep the mash feeders as full as the grain feeders because once the rainy season starts the last of the feed can sometimes spoil before they get to it.

If you feeders are out in the open you may want to build a little shelter for it to keep the dew and rain off. A little morning fog won't hurt anything so long as they're eating the feed regularly.

.....Alan.

 

[gryeyes]

Yeah, what Alan said.

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

A.T. Hagan :

I'm in Florida as well.

You really want to try to keep the feeders where they cannot get directly wet. A little damp from the morning dew/fog won't hurt anything IF they are regularly consuming the feed and it has a chance to dry during the heat of the day. Over the years I've learned not to keep the mash feeders as full as the grain feeders because once the rainy season starts the last of the feed can sometimes spoil before they get to it.

If you feeders are out in the open you may want to build a little shelter for it to keep the dew and rain off. A little morning fog won't hurt anything so long as they're eating the feed regularly.

.....Alan.

Good to know, the feed always drys up before nightfall on a sunny day. I think it's a good idea to make a little shelter for it.​

 

[Bantimna]

Quote:
Ditto