No longer eating chick feed?

[hairyarsedpea]

Hi everyone

My 4 chicks are now 6/7 weeks old. They are let out early morning and they put themselves to bed at dusk and I just lock them in to make sure they are secure.

They and their mum just do what they want in the day, the garden is theirs! They love it w love watching them they are really cheeky!

Anyway. Since they have been allowed full freedom they hardly touch the chick feed? They have a bit but they where going through it for fun a week ago but now I'm guessing as they have doubled in size are more happy funding their own bugs, grubs and worms etc.

They are really happy birds and I'm presuming this is fine ?

Thanks

 

[Bekkaseggs]

Hi Harry,

I'm not sure it's bad. Chicks usually want to eat chick feed for much of their daily food. But I bet yours aren't eating it because they eat during the day, and you have them outside all day. Maybe they don't have access to the chick feed or maybe don't notice it, when they are awake?

I hope they're fine.

All the best,
Bekka

 

[hairyarsedpea]

Hi Bekka

No they have access all day to everything.

Their coop is left open all day, they can, and do, go in and out at will. They just seem more interested in catching flies at the moment

 

[Pork Pie]

I had a similar concern as the chicks mum would seem to ignore their feeding station and spend all day messing around in the garden. I was initially concerned that a lack of "proper feed" would affect their development, but i was totally wrong! My chicks would eat in the morning, then in the evening when their mum took them back to the coop. They are now 9 weeks old and have been abandoned by the mother, so they now eat their growers mash whenever they please and they are doing very well indeed!

 

[Bekkaseggs]

That's great, Hairy. Then I fall back to the old standard. Animals generally know what's good for them. Good luck to you!

 

[donrae]

I'll bet they were wasting a lot before they had garden access.