Question about feeding chicks

[abuzar1]

Hey I bought some baby chicks about three weeks ago. I noticed they wouldn't eat their food so I ground it up for them. I just read somewhere that their food is supposed to come grounded. Now they don't need their food grounded anymore, so I was wondering should I start giving them grit now?

 

[First-time-raising]

Quote:
If you are ONLY feeding them Chick Starter or Pellets they do not need any grit at all.

You do need to feed them grit if you feed them people food and they are not allowed to go outside to get there own grit

If someone else could chime in and verify this that would be great.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, what have you been feeding them? You should be feeding them a chick starter which I've only seen in crumbles.

If you've been feeding something else, I recommend getting a bag of chick crumbles asap because that would give them the nutrition they need to grow up strong and healthy. Feed that to them for the first 8 weeks. Then from week 8 to 16 or so feed them a grower ration. This also normally comes in crumble, at least here. At 16 weeks, buy layer pellets so they can get the calcium to lay eggs.

As for grit, if you are only feeding chick starter and no treats, it is not necessary. If they free range and have dirt available with rocks and pebbles and what not, grit is an option if you want.

Good luck!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I agree...starter/grower only comes in crumbles....grit is really not needed....

 

[abuzar1]

I am feeding them whatever that guy gave me at the feed store. I bought the chicks from there and asked him what I needed to feed them and he sold me this stuff. They granules are maybe 40 percent the size of BB pellets. I'll try to get a pic up here. Also the black one(Black Sex link or something) is there any way I can tell if he is a male or if she is a female(see what I did there)?

 

[silkiechicken]

Hmm. Well you might have the right feed then if they are only 40% the size of a bb. Pelets are the size of .177 rounds and about the size of 3 bb's lined up.

If the black one is a black sexlink, it should be a girl, else, no telling till about 6 weeks old.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

If it's a real black "sex link" it's a female.

A sex link means when it's hatched, the male is one color and the female is a different color.

 

[abuzar1]

It's black, with some white mixed in the feathers and a white spot on the head. Also one of my Bantams has the thing on top of his beak growing already(don't remember what it's called), does that mean he is a rooster?

EDIT: I used to let them out while watching over them but two of them got taken away by hawks

I didn't even know Hawks eat them. So now i have seven, as they eat two RIRs.