JUST HATCHED...food ok?

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Ok stupid I know...but could have sworn the food I had from my older chickens was starter...but ends up being Grower.
Will this be ok for newly hatched chicks til in the morning?
Specifically it is the Small Pet Select Chicken Grower Feed.

 

[Banana01]

Here is the label off your feed. You'll probably get a lot of answers better than i can give.

This is what i feed mine:
18% protein, 4% fat, 11% fiber, 9% ash

I think the difference besides composition is the grit, or in mine contains ash. Another difference is i sometimes give medicated baby feed which contains antibiotics and 22% protein.

As far as protein content goes, you're fine. But the grit may be a problem. I also feed corn soy based feed, so hopefully you get some better answers. I had a baby die this morning due to impacted crop giving the wrong feed, so you would hopefully get a definitive answer from other experts that know feeds better.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Thank u...Rather than switching their feed right after birth would it be best to just give water tonight and give them the
Medicated Starter Food I just gotta go pickup first think in the morning?

 

[Banana01]

They can get water for their first 24 hours, depending on the conditions of the hatching, incubation temperature for example may make them burn their reserve faster. My babies hatch with their moms, and wont leave the nest for a day sometimes longer, but if i put food in and they eat right away. The sooner you feed the better, but you have a day of time if you needed.

Giving water and crushed feed or mush probably wouldn't hurt either. Switching feed shouldn't be an issue. It's the impacted crop that may cause a problem. You could also monitor them and pull the food out if someone is eating too much and not drinking water.

 

[Finnie]

Ok stupid I know...but could have sworn the food I had from my older chickens was starter...but ends up being Grower.
Will this be ok for newly hatched chicks til in the morning?
Specifically it is the Small Pet Select Chicken Grower Feed.

They don’t need food for the first few days. Grower is fine.

 

[saysfaa]

The (only?) significant difference between grower and starter is the size of the particles. You may need to break up the pellets, otherwise it is good as starter for layer or dual purpose breeds.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Honestly, it's fine. Half my chicks actually start eating layer from day 1, and thats more frowned upon than grower

 

[Ebony Rose]

Newborns can go a good day or day and a half without food. They're still 'digesting' the yolk that they absorbed during the hatching process.

 

[GC-Raptor]

For egg laying breeds 18% Protein is fine, it's what I use. What's not is its pellets according to Banana01.
Crush them up in a blender 1 cup at a time in pulse mode or 2 cups in a regular size food processor. GC

 

[Finnie]

Honestly, it's fine. Half my chicks actually start eating layer from day 1, and thats more frowned upon than grower

Chick feed prices jumped way up, so I’ve been feeding layer crumbles this year cuz they were way cheaper. Haven’t seen any problems.
I did look at the calcium content, and it was only a difference of 3% instead of 1%.