Making my own Chick Recipe. Help!

[mooSa]

I have been feeding my baby chicks organic wheat mixed with a little grit. This is a very healthy and highly concentrated wheat. I am not sure what else to mix, any suggestions? and how much grit do i need to put? Btw they are 2-3 days old. (do they need grit at that age?) and does grit have any health benefits?(what are its contents?)

 

[mooSa]

any ideas anyone? and when does a chick usually get sick?

 

[miss_jayne]

wheat is only 10% protein (i think) and grit is just granite. there is no health benefit from granite other than to grind the food for the bird.

chickens really should have a 20-24% protein food source at a young age. you may want to explore your feed options.

they need grit after about a week. if they are eating chick crumbles ONLY (a prepared mixture) then they do NOT need it at all. if they are eating anything other than that, grit must be present. a little goes a long way. just a sprinkle.

 

[comp6512]

My chicks are going crazy over the chopped up egg. I add a half teaspoon of cod liver oil there too, for 20 chicks. That's in addition to chick starter-grower.

 

[mooSa]

wheat is the pretty much the highest in protein of all grains, and to get the amount of protein they need; they would eat more wheat? What do you guys think is a put a little olive oil on the side or with their water? wouldn't it get them stronger and strengthen their immunity?

 

[Katy]

My answer today is the same as it was when you asked previously.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=252937

 

[bibliophile birds]

happy to see more and more people feeding organic! for the moment, i'm feeding organic chick starter from Countryside Naturals , but once the chicks go out to pasture, i'll be mixing my own. i've been doing a lot of research on it. lots of hours staring at the internet...

some resources that i've found helpful:

(disclaimer: i'm far from being an expert, so this is for informational purposes only. don't take my word for it!)

The Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives website has been very informational. i don't live in Canada, but what holds true for them should be mostly true for me too... here's some of their articles that are good starting points: Organic Diets for Small Flocks, Poultry Rations and Feeding Methods, and Research on Feeding Peas to Poultry

Small Poultry Flock Nutrition from University of Florida was a good overview.

Evaluating Feed Components and Finished Feeds from Kansas State Uni: this was a bit technical for me, but there is a great table on page 2 that tells the protein level of various foods.

This website has some good information, but what were most helpful for me were the Pearson's Square and Kim's Rectangle in section 2. these help me make sure, no matter what ingredients i choose to feed, that i'm maintaining the correct protein level for my chicks.

i know that's a lot of information, but if you are like me, mixing your own food will be something you don't want to risk getting wrong. good luck!

 

[bibliophile birds]

Quote:
feeding only wheat is definitely not enough! not only is it boring for the chicks, but it will cause severe nutritional deficiencies that could kill the birds (or at the least make them terrible layers or not worth eating).

wheat will probably be the largest part of your mix, but wheat alone (really any one ingredient) doesn't provide all the needed amino acids, starch, vitamins, etc, that your birds need. just like us, they need variety to their diet to get the essential building blocks to grow.

also, some recipes, and most commercial feed, include soy. lots of people still think soy is wonderful, and it is really high in protein, but it's been linked to all kinds of health problems in people (if your birds eat it and you eat their eggs or meat, you eat it) such as hypothyroidism, cancer, and loss of estrogen production. i don't feed it to any of my animals. flaxseed is a great alternative, or even fish oil.

 

[mooSa]

yea im trying to figure out a healthy diet. Thanks for those links! excellent information. What do u guys think if i put some oil in the water once a week for the chicks?

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Why do you want to put oil in their water?