Is it okay if I fed my 6 week old chicks later feed?!

UrbanchickensATL

Hatching
Jun 27, 2017
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First time chick owner, and without even realizing it, I have been feeding our 6 week old chicks layer feed?? We have been feeding them with the layer feed for about almost 2 weeks now, and also allowing them to free Range during the day. Do you think this will be harmful to them? I plan to get chick starter tomorrow at the store and put them back on starter feed, but will this impact their health, their ability to lay or negativiely affect the eggs they do lay? Thanks!
 
I wouldn't stress over it, it's a good thing you caught it quickly.
Switch back and they should be just fine.
Welcome to BYC.
 
Layer feed has calcium and grit in it. It's the calcium that the young chicks can't process .

Good thing you figured it out ..
Good luck , and have fun
 
While it isn't ideal that they have had the excess calcium and lower protein of layer feed the fact that you are now aware and going to correct it tomorrow should work in your favor and, long term, the damage will likely be minimal.
 
I raised my chickens with the help of our FFA director at the local school. We raised 40 chicks on nothing but ground up later pellets and corn. I'm sure that's not ideal but we have seen absolutely no negative impacts. They are 9 months old now.
 
Chickens that don't lay (roosters, chicks, and very old hens) can't have layer feed because all the extra calcium hurts their kidneys.
 
I raised my chickens with the help of our FFA director at the local school. We raised 40 chicks on nothing but ground up later pellets and corn. I'm sure that's not ideal but we have seen absolutely no negative impacts. They are 9 months old now.
The damage is not immediately evident as it is long term damage to internal organs
 
I raised my chickens with the help of our FFA director at the local school. We raised 40 chicks on nothing but ground up later pellets and corn. I'm sure that's not ideal but we have seen absolutely no negative impacts. They are 9 months old now.

Hmm, how do I say this? You mention the FFA director as if to add validity to that feeding program he advised. FFA folks don't know stuff just because they are FFA, trust me. FFA folks have been extremely disappointing to me on several occasions with their lack of knowledge of poultry. I bought my first rooster from an FFA teenager. His chickens were kept in pens in the woods, dark, dank, pens so full of water that the birds were standing on whatever dry ground they could find, troughs of black water to drink, no sunlight at all could get in. The rooster had been fed only corn, apparently, from the bags I saw laying around. He was a Barred Rock, but there was no white on him, only yellow-gold from his woefully inadequate diet. He had a terrible case of lice plus a fungal infection of the comb called favus. Within a month of proper diet, he did not look like the same bird at all. The kid should have known better. I mean, it was FFA! At least, I thought he would know more than the average person, but he did not.

Later, when I informed a feed store that they had mislabeled an entire brooder of chicks, the excuse was that the FFA person did not correct it therefore I must be wrong. Being a breeder of Barred Rocks for years, I know a brooder full of BRs when I see them, but they were labeled "Domineckers". So, I have had no evidence that any FFA folks know much about anything to do with chickens in my own life.

So, usually, I groan when someone says anything about FFA due to my own experience with the people who run it, and that's my own experience. Certainly, somewhere, there are FFA people who know more than the ones I've encountered or the one advised you to feed those chicks improper feed.

But, folks have already said it for me: Chicks need more protein than laying hens and they do not need the extra calcium. They are growing at a rapid rate and need the feed that has the proper vitamin/mineral boost and protein levels to support their fast growth. So, they may survive being fed the wrong feed, especially if they are able to get out and forage for themselves some, but they won't have the optimal nutrition they should have.

By the way, even my adults get more protein than the average chicken. I feed a 22% layer pellet to adults. Mine are heritage birds, larger than hatchery stock, and I want them to have the best nutrition. It still contains animal protein as well. Corn is 8% protein, not adequate for chicks or adults. Feeding the wrong thing short-term then fixing the issue will probably not cause any lasting damage, but chick starter/grower should be fed until they are close to laying age. I have fudged a bit with teenagers of 14-16 weeks when they had to go in with adults, but I try not to very often.
 
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