MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

Personally I would get a smaller bag if it is available, but if not then you know you can use up the leftovers.

I'm not sure it comes in smaller quantities without being stale.

 

[RoyalChick]

I'm not sure it comes in smaller quantities without being stale.

The other thing you can do is freeze some of it to keep it fresh.
I do that with my chicken feed whenever I have freezer space.
Needs to be in an airtight container.

 

[Shadrach]

Would 20kg be excessive?

Tull, Sylph and their brothers got through about 12kg, with some help from the adults. Mind you, the way I feed them (open bowls) leads to a lot of wastage. Depending on what you feed them as juveniles, you may find you can gradually introduce larger particle sizes by mixing in with the crumb.

 

[Ribh]

That is definitely way more than you will need. But of course the older girls will love left-over crumble if you make it into mash.

You don't need to make it into a mash. My big girls love chick crumbles. When introducing my small girls into the mature flock, everyone temporarily went onto chick crumbles. I don't think you'll have any trouble using up a larger bag.

 

[RoyalChick]

You don't need to make it into a mash. My big girls love chick crumbles. When introducing my small girls into the mature flock, everyone temporarily went onto chick crumbles. I don't think you'll have any trouble using up a larger bag.

Yes. True. My big girls waste a lot when it is crumble. Don’t waste a scrap when it is mash.

 

[Ribh]

Yes. True. My big girls waste a lot when it is crumble. Don’t waste a scrap when it is mash.

Mine can waste food however it comes... even using the tube feeders they scatter it all over the yard.

 

[RoyalChick]

Mine can waste food however it comes... even using the tube feeders they scatter it all over the yard.

Bad table manners!

 

[BDutch]

.. Can someone suggest the weight of chick crumbles required? Would 20kg be excessive?

If the chicks start to walk around outside the small coop , you need to give all your hens chick feed too.
So 20 kg is not too much imo.

 

[BY Bob]

No!. Let the hens get on with it no matter the outcome. If one loses a few eggs so be it.

I agree with this. I did not back stop my girls with an incubator even though it was their first time. But I was prepared for the whole thing to be a wash if they didn't finish. I do it for them, not to add to my group.

The addition of mother raised chickens is great and I'm thrilled to have Aster join the group but that was not the point of what I did. The point was for them to try being a mum and have as much of the "chicken experience" as I can give them.

 

[BY Bob]

Next weekend's list (in case I forget anything)

• Rake the run
• Sweep with the magnet
• Take the ramp from the old little coop and put it in Mary's Hatchery
• Clean up the chicken fencing panels and get more if needs be
• Start setting up the Peggy exclusion zone
• Place water and food for Mary in the Peggy exclusion zone
• Assuming Mary's nest is in the roosting compartment by then, place a sheet of ply in the nest box
• Prepare the feeding station in the nest box
• Get chick crumbles
• Set up some form of shade over the nesting area.

Can someone suggest the weight of chick crumbles required? Would 20kg be excessive?

My whole group is still on chick food. I've gone through multiple 20 lb bags of the stuff. Once they start mixing with everybody they eat whatever is out. The extra protein is helpful with everyone molting right now anyway. In another month I'll move them all to all flock once molting is over and Aster is fully grown.