Is it time for Supplemental Calcium yet?

[Feathered babie]

And yet you give them all that other stuff as supplements. Interesting. I don't see anything on that list that will hurt them as long as it is offered in moderation, just don't overdo anything to upset a balanced diet. A decent chicken feed contains all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals they need so that should be the main part of their diet. If course, if they forage for a lot of their food you have lost the ability to micromanage their diet.

I think there’s a bit of an assumption there. I’m not actually giving them “all that other stuff” regularly. Their base is balanced feed and actual food /herbs etc, and I keep additional options on hand as needed. Just trying to raise them thoughtfully, not overcomplicate things.

 

[Feathered babie]

The main thing I do is to try to strengthen their immune system. If they are raised by a broody hen the hen takes care of this. But for my brooder-raised chicks I feed them a small amount of dirt from the run where the adults are twice a week. This gets grit into their system, introduces them to any probiotics the adults have, and exposes them to anything their immune system needs to protect them against. If you do not have any adults, feeding them a little dirt still gives them grit and may introduce things in the soil they need to start their immune system protecting them. So expose them to their environment as soon as reasonable.

I try to keep the brooder, coop, and run dry. If they get wet and stay wet for a few days they can stink and harbor diseases. This includes keeping their drinking water clean. If the water gets poop in it and sits, after a few days dirty drinking water can harbor diseases.

I really appreciate you sharing this especially the tip about introducing dirt for immune support. That actually makes a lot of sense and I like the idea of doing it gradually and intentionally.
I’ve been pretty strict with their hygiene, but I also started taking mine out in temporary runs around 3 weeks once they had enough fluff and feathers. I wanted them to start getting the benefits of a natural environment early but I waited because I’m a little cautious about bacteria exposure too early plus I’m in Florida and it’s been colder than usual so I didn’t want to rush it.
I’m definitely mindful about keeping everything dry and their water clean too I’ve seen how fast things can turn if it’s not managed.
Thanks again for the advice, I really appreciate you taking the time to explain your approach def going to adopt it for my chicks.