layena okay for chicks?

[RollinWithTheStones]

They are only out for an hour a day (30 min in the morning and 30 min on the evening) during that time they like to scratch around in the big chicken food.

They have starter food in their own cage which they do eat. So will that little bit hurt them?

It's purina layena crumbles if that matters much.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
I can't really say for sure, but I don't think I'd worry about chicks getting a little layena now and then as long as their main diet is starter. Layer food contains calcium that chicks do not need and I've heard can be bad for them. I've never had chicks and older chickens mixed together so I really have no experience. Sorry I can't be more help but I personally wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[CinnamonQueen12]

Yes it is very bad for them! Even a little can cause kidney or liver problems because the chicks body can't digest that much calcium!

 

[phasian]

I agree with the above. It's hard to know how much they are truly ingesting, and excess calcium on a developing body can be harsh. When I have mixed ages with contact with each other, I feed 'developer' food and then put out an ample amount of another calcium source like oyster shell-- though of late I have been using crushed calcium carbonate. If your feed store doesn't offer developer formula, Purina makes a 'growth & plumage' game bird food which is excellent. It is also a crumble.

While I tend to feed primarily organic, I will use this formula in addition to my organic feeds to aid birds through their moult. It works great. It's higher in protein than layer, but also helps with embryo development if you are planning on doing some hatching with your eggs.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

For such a brief exposure I doubt they will eat enough to do any harm. Just make sure they always have access to their regular chick starter and you'll be OK.

 

[RollinWithTheStones]

Thanks everyone