Just got some baby chicks

[Chicken8442]

I brought them home yesterday, I got my brooder set up nice and the temp all good. The only question I have is food. The place I bought from gave me a 50 pound bag of feed, It says "Chick Grower" on it. The chicks seem to be eating it just fine, They are 4 days old. I was wondering if this was the correct feed I should be giving them or if I need to get something different.

Thanks in advance for your advise

 

[lemurchaser]

Sounds right. Mine eat the purina mills chick grower. I've been really happy with it.

 

[bock]

They usually need chick starter the 1st 2-3 weeks, but eating grower at that age probably won't hurt.

 

[Chicken8442]

Thank you!!... now time to go to the coop forum, lol

 

[lmcgirr]

I just bought 6 chicks at Tractor Supply. My husband and I built the coop today and have them in a brooder. They are 2 weeks old according to TS. I was just wondering though, since I didn't think to ask is what kind of chickens they are and if they are male or female. We have 4 red and 2 yellowish red. I do recall the lady telling us they would lay brown eggs. How would you know until it laid eggs what color, I mean how can you tell the difference in the chicks? They all really looked alike to me, except some were reddish brown and some yellowish brown/red. There was a sign in one bin that said pullets???? but not in this bin. I have no idea, but would like to learn. I'm not interesting in breeding, just the eggs. Any suggestions are appreciated. Also, has anyone wormed thier chicks? I was reading in a magazine that they should be wormed at 3, 7 and 11 weeks. Do I have to get the med from a vet or is it something I can get from a Feed Store? Thanks, Lorrie

 

[acid_chipmunk]

You can tell when color eggs they are going to lay by the color or their ear lobes. White lobes mean white eggs, red lobes mean brown eggs, except in the case of blue/green egg layers.

If you post pics of your chicks, people on here can help tell you what breed they are, but most likely not gender since they are only 2 weeks.

I have never wormed my chickens and they have never been sick, so I can't help you there.


Good luck with your new babies!

 

[WhetzelMomma]

How would you know until it laid eggs what color, I mean how can you tell the difference in the chicks?

there are only a few chicken breeds that lay green eggs, and from what I've seen, "most" chickens lay brown in some shade or another. SO the lady probably knew that the kinds you bought weren't white or green layers. I currently have 3 kinds of chickens, all of which lay brown.

They all really looked alike to me, except some were reddish brown and some yellowish brown/red. There was a sign in one bin that said pullets???? but not in this bin.

It may be that the kind of chicks you bought are what are called SexLinks. Because of their markings at hatching, you can tell if they are cockerel or pullet. I don't believe this is a fool proof method, but there are many varies of sex links, as well as other breeds that are sex identifiable at hatching.
OR
You got some out of the "wait and see" bin. Which, truthfully we ALL buy from to one degree or another, because no method is 100% fool proof. Here's crossing feathers that you have GIRLS!!​

 

[lmcgirr]

Thanks, I really appreciate it. I'll try to post pics tomorrow of the chicks and hopefully someone can tell me what kind they are. All I remember is the lady saying they were red hatchlings and the receipt says red assorted.

 

[blystonemichal]

my guess is that they are golden comets. The pullets(female) are usually red, maybe a little yellowish with red, but are mostly the reddish color. The cockerels are always yellow. Thats what i has recently bought from tsc, but considering that it was a red mixed bin, there is a chance that they are something completely different.

 

[felidaet]

If the bin did not say pullets and they did not tell you they were pullets then they are probably Straight Run. Straight Run are taken as hatched. They are not sexed. They should be about 50% pullets and 50% cockrels. However, I have seen a lot of discussion here that Straight Run from hatcheries often times seem to have a higher percentage of Cockrels.