New food?

[poupoule]

Hello everybody and happy new year

My chicks are growing fast now. They almost all look like chicken, no babies anymore. I guess the biggest ones are just over 6 weeks. I was just wondering when do you change their food. For the moment they are still on crumbles, plus a bit of food scraps and some grass when it is warm outside. What is the next food for them? Pellets like the adults or is there a young food more appropriate?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Sallysitter]

Hi

I am in Nth East Victoria, we have some chicks that are just turned 9 weeks old. I have started putting some Grower mix in a separate feeder for them and also mixing a little into there starter crumble. The grower mix is about half the size of layer pellets and contains extra stuff to help them grow. They will stay on this until about 20 weeks old, then go on to normal layer pellets.

We did have 2 out of the early spring hatchings and they just ate what the others were eating from about 12 wks old

 

[mudderhen]

From everything I have read/been told, the chicks start out on starter crumbles until they are about 8weeks old, then you switch them to grower until they are about 18 weeks old, then they can go on layer feed. Either pellets or crumbles.
Some companies have a starter/grower mix that can be fed from hatch til 18 weeks, but I prefer to titrate down the protein percent rather that have them on the lower protein from the beginning.

 

[cmom]

They need chick starter up to 8 weeks,
or starter/grower until you get your first egg,
Grower Crumbles or pellets from 8 weeks until you get your first egg,
Layer from first egg on.

I use Starter/Grower. If I have any left over when I switch them I just mix the Starter/Grower with their Layer feed. I have had no problems.

 

[Splash_Guard]

Purina makes what is called "Flock Grower", guaranteed complete nutrition from birth to death. I don't believe it so they get other things to eat, but I do use it as back-up now.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Mine get the Purina Starter/Grower from the time they hatch until I see the first egg.

 

[CovenantCreek]

Hopefully, it'll say on the feed you're buying how long they think you should feed the starter before switching -- with what I feed my chicks, it's recommended to switch at 2 weeks (but the starter is identical to the broiler except that it's more finely ground).