My week old chicks......food/vitamin questions!!??

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shorty7978

shorty7978

Hatching
7 Years
May 21, 2012
8
0
7
Hi All,

So my chicks are a little over a week old now. I have them in a BIG box and started them out on puppy pads with a layer of shavings then paper towels on top. I just introduced them yesterday to all pine shavings which worried me a bit because they were pecking at them like they were eating them. I was on here yesterday reading post about shavings and it looks like there is some controversy over if you should them or not. But for now they are really enjoying scratching around in them so I hope I made the right decision. But now I am wondering how long do they stay on the chick medicated starter feed? Do I need to introduce any other types of feed/scratch if so what and when? Also I bought some vitamin stuff from the hatchery and put it in their water it was like like a green jelly stuff they had that for about 1-2 days but it turned kinda nasty. Should I be giving them some other type of vitamin in their water? We will have their new chicken coop ready by the end of the weekend and I am thinking about putting them in it during the day and at night back to the garage to their box....good idea or bad? Everyone seems pretty happy I did lose one chick a few days ago looked like it was flattened :( so i'm hoping it was just a freak accident. Anyway I mostly just wanted to find out how long I feed the chick starter I assume a few more weeks but I want to make sure they get what they need. Also can I give them some watermelon at this age? Or even some crickets?

thanks
Laurie
 
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I don't raise chickens so can't be of help but
WelcometoBYC.gif
 
Hello & welcome!
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I've had my chicks on medicated starter feed for 4 weeks and plan to keep them on it until I see an egg. After that I'm going to switch to layer feed.

I purchased scratch but haven't fed them any yet. I will give them a little when they move to the coop this weekend. The bag says something like "not to exceed more than 10% of total diet".

I have just offered plain water so I can't offer any advice.

Good luck and again, welcome!
 
Hi and :welcome from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard. That green gel was just to get them on a good start. They don't need that anymore if they are eating their chick starter. I keep mine on chick starter until laying egg age than switch to layer feed. To early for scratch grains yet or anything else. You don't want to mess up their digestive syster. All they need is chick starter. I use the shavings as well. They peck at it for awhile but I have never had a problem. I wouldn't put them outside unless you can still provide heat for them. Moving them back and forth can be stressful. :thumbsup
 
Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan
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Gel for the first few days.
Medicated starter for 6 weeks or more, then you can switch to grower/finisher until point of lay (I am using Flock Raiser right now because I have young birds in with my laying hens)
If you use shavings, make sure they are the large size ones, not the fine (small) ones. I have never had a problem with shavings.

No treats, scratch, or anything except chick starter for the first 6 weeks, then sparingly after that - their little digestive tracts are not mature.
 
Good question! I didn't know about the green stuff either.. but my chicks are due to arrive next week - so I should probably get some, huh? So much to learn! and I thought raising baby humans was involved. LOL!
 

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