Should I provide baby feed for broody hatched chicks?

[Chicken Farmer 22]

Broody hen hatched 7 chicks out of 9 eggs and should I provide crumble feed or will the mom feed them some how by like crumbling up the layer pellets?

 

[cherrynberry]

Broody hen hatched 7 chicks out of 9 eggs and should I provide crumble feed or will the mom feed them some how by like crumbling up the layer pellets?

Feed grower or chick starter, or All-flock. Don't feed them layer pellets though. Since broody hens wont be laying any eggs when raising the chicks, they can eat the same thing as the chicks.

 

[nuthatched]

Layer pellets shouldn't be fed to non laying chickens, and it also doesn't have nearly enough protein for growing chicks (or any chicken, really)

 

[Chicken Farmer 22]

What do you mean. Should I be feeding them something else as there main feed? They really only eat it when they are hungry I let them free range all over my property and give them left overs.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Broody hen hatched 7 chicks out of 9 eggs and should I provide crumble feed or will the mom feed them some how by like crumbling up the layer pellets?

I would provide a Starter Grower crumble feed 18/20% Protein for them with access to Oyster Shells in a separate container for the broody. She may not resume laying till she stops caring for the chicks, around 5 weeks. GC

 

[Aapomp831]

Feed them both chick starter or flock raiser. Mom needs food with more protein to recover from being broody and the chicks need it to grow. Non laying hens shouldn’t eat layer pellets.
Free ranging is not enough for your chicks to grow up healthy.

 

[Chicken Farmer 22]

Feed them both chick starter or flock raiser. Mom needs food with more protein to recover from being broody and the chicks need it to grow. Non laying hens shouldn’t eat layer pellets.
Free ranging is not enough for your chicks to grow up healthy.

Okay thanks! do you think 18% feed would be good for the mom. she really hasn't lost much weight but quite a bit of feathers.

 

[Chicken Farmer 22]

I would provide a Starter Grower crumble feed 18/20% Protein for them with access to Oyster Shells in a separate container for the broody. She may not resume laying till she stops caring for the chicks, around 5 weeks. GC

The chicks were hatched on the 4th of July. I have bought 20% crumble for the chicks. and the mom is already going outside with her chicks. we have very rocky soil here and do you think that will be enough for the mom to have instead of shells?

 

[GC-Raptor]

The chicks were hatched on the 4th of July. I have bought 20% crumble for the chicks. and the mom is already going outside with her chicks. we have very rocky soil here and do you think that will be enough for the mom to have instead of shells?

Yeah, she won't need the extra Calcium in Oyster Shells till she starts laying. You have Rocky soil so she probably won't need Poultry Grit for digestion. GC

 

[neo71665]

I always take the broodie and her nest, put them in a hatching cage, and let her hatch in there. I feed them all chick starter for the first 2 months. After that I swap back to my all flock.