Starter feeding problems/question and grit quantity help

[Patterson Farmer]

Hi all,

I have eleven chicks, one week old, and I've been feeding them Homestead Organics chicken starter. They tend to just peck at the larger grains in the starter until there's just powder left over. I'm wondering if the smaller, 'powdery' stuff is their added minerals and the larger stuff is the equivalent of 'scratch'? I keep having to dump out the stuff they aren't eating but worry that they aren't eating it. Initially I had tried fermenting it (as per Justin Rhodes) but they weren't at all interested in that.

Also, when I refill their little dish of grit they go crazy over it. For eleven chicks they probably eat 1/3 cup a day. Is that too much? I walked down to my stream in the woods and shoveled out the sandy/rocky stuff from there and have been using that. They LOVE it which makes me wonder if that's a bad sign.

This is my first time raising chickens, appreciate your answers to these seemingly 'basic' questions

Thank you

 

[peeper89]

u got pic of feed
they eat what taste good an leave rest wet feed to make them eat it all

 

[Mace Gill]

Hi all,

I have eleven chicks, one week old, and I've been feeding them Homestead Organics chicken starter. They tend to just peck at the larger grains in the starter until there's just powder left over. I'm wondering if the smaller, 'powdery' stuff is their added minerals and the larger stuff is the equivalent of 'scratch'? I keep having to dump out the stuff they aren't eating but worry that they aren't eating it. Initially I had tried fermenting it (as per Justin Rhodes) but they weren't at all interested in that.

Also, when I refill their little dish of grit they go crazy over it. For eleven chicks they probably eat 1/3 cup a day. Is that too much? I walked down to my stream in the woods and shoveled out the sandy/rocky stuff from there and have been using that. They LOVE it which makes me wonder if that's a bad sign.

This is my first time raising chickens, appreciate your answers to these seemingly 'basic' questions

Thank you

Chicks are messy eaters and will leave the pulverized powdery bits behind. At one week, they are old enough to introduce some treats ... put out a little yogurt, possibly with some bits of banana stirred in ... if you feel you want to us some of the powder to ensure they are still getting enough of their chick feed, stir in some of the powder into the yogurt.

The large quantity of grit sounds excessive ... maybe limit that a bit for now, but get some other opinions on this!

 

[Pork Pie]

If you are feeding nothing but starter / chick feed, then there is no need for grit. Here's a good link on the subject

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/891051/the-science-of-feeding-grit-to-poultry

 

[Patterson Farmer]

Ok,I've added a bit of water to their food and that's made a huge difference. Thank you!!

 

[lazy gardener]

PF, while many folks say that grit is not necessary for birds who are on commercial feed (and not eating treats) there are differing opinions, as there are on almost all aspects of chicken husbandry. I am of the opinion that grit is a good thing for chicks as well as older birds, no matter what their diet. They have an instinctive drive to fill their gizzards with grit. If grit is not available, they will look for something else. IMO, that's why there are so many posts from chickie Mamas complaining that their babies are eating the shavings. I'm guessing that they are billing a lot of that grit out into the shavings, looking for the best pieces. There may also be some protein tid bits in that river gravel that you are not aware of.

 

[ChickNanny13]

How long did your try feeding them FF? Did you make it soupy or thick, seems thick is preferred by most. I do a ratio of 1:1, takes awhile for the chicks to get used to it but never had any refuse to eat it. I use the WHOLE bag including the dust, no waste. I do have a container (tuna can) of grit available, Oyster Shells when they start laying, filling as needed & finding alot on the ground.

Which brings to mind, lazy gardener, what say you ... Once the laying starts, is grit still needed along with the Oyster Shells? I read/heard somewhere that OS will "act" as grit My girls are confined, not free ranging, therefore I think grit is necessary although it's dirt floor with shavings & they do dig up alot of rocks & stuff.

 

[lazy gardener]

How long did your try feeding them FF? Did you make it soupy or thick, seems thick is preferred by most. I do a ratio of 1:1, takes awhile for the chicks to get used to it but never had any refuse to eat it. I use the WHOLE bag including the dust, no waste. I do have a container (tuna can) of grit available, Oyster Shells when they start laying, filling as needed & finding alot on the ground.

Which brings to mind, lazy gardener, what say you ... Once the laying starts, is grit still needed along with the Oyster Shells? I read/heard somewhere that OS will "act" as grit My girls are confined, not free ranging, therefore I think grit is necessary although it's dirt floor with shavings & they do dig up alot of rocks & stuff.

Oyster shell is too soft to act as grit. So, unless they can dig up their own grit, it should be supplied. My soil is pretty gritty, so... most of the year, they do just fine without having any supplemental grit. However, my ground is frozen from November through mid April, so no grit available then. They really enjoy having the occasional bowl full of grit then. Other folks have their birds only on sod, or their soil is very sandy/silty with no grit. In those cases, it's a good idea to supply it.

 

[Mace Gill]

Oyster shell is too soft to act as grit. So, unless they can dig up their own grit, it should be supplied. My soil is pretty gritty, so... most of the year, they do just fine without having any supplemental grit. However, my ground is frozen from November through mid April, so no grit available then. They really enjoy having the occasional bowl full of grit then. Other folks have their birds only on sod, or their soil is very sandy/silty with no grit. In those cases, it's a good idea to supply it.

In my small yard and small flock ... they get a little grit around the soil and all ... I spread around chick sized grit when babies are being raised ... but when I see the hens congregating in the stony/gravelly driveway, I figure they're 'at the dentist'

 

[Chickassan]

I brought my littles a steam pan of sandy soil into the brooder within their first week, they knew exactly what to do with it. Kept the little nutjobs entertained too.