starting out suggestions/ideas.....

[CountrySass20]

Hi ladies I am a newbie...I am hoping to purchase some chicks within the next couple of weeks. I am wondering if y'all have any insight/pointers on things for people starting out on raising chicks. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[chooks4life]

Well, this is not the normal advice, but personally I don't use medicated feed, I use raw garlic instead to prevent coccidiosis. Unlike when using medicated feed, there haven't been any losses to cocci when using garlic as prevention.

Their very first feed has a few cloves of finely minced raw garlic, the fresher the better. From there I can give it to them once a week or so and it's sufficient, never seen a case of coccidiosis throughout all the years of feeding chooks garlic to prevent it. A zero percent mortality rate to disease in chicks year after year after year must be worth something I reckon.

I would raise them outdoors myself, if possible, again that's not the normal advice, but I believe they grow better in real sunlight on real dirt and it gives them healthier immune systems. They certainly look better raised that way, in my experience. Synthetic vitamin D in the diet doesn't quite make up for no real sunshine. It does depend on what your circumstances are like, if it's frozen outside that's not necessarily going to work for you.

Unfortunately animal proteins are being phased out of chicken feed in a lot of places and I don't believe they do as well on purely vegan diets, the results speak for themselves. So farming insects for them may be worth looking into, or providing other sources of animal proteins, unless you're happy to raise them vegan which I think is biologically inappropriate. But that is just my opinion and your chooks, your call.

Sprouted, soaked or fermented seeds and grains are particularly beneficial to them, even if all you do is soak them overnight, I highly recommend that. They not only eat much less than if the grains were dry, but absorb so much more, it's definitely something to read up on. It makes the feed more nutritious and bioavailable so they eat less but get more out of it.

I start mine on the same diet they will get as adults, just with more protein, but what breed you get and what you intend them for, and your budget, will all have an influence on what you can do, as well as availability of feed types. Millet seeds are excellent for them, high protein.

Best wishes.

 

[cavemanrich]

Well. I'm considered a ladies man. LOL LOL. . Here is a thread that will help you a lot.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/952849/teaching-chicken-class-advice-plz/10
and red post 18
AND

 

[chooks4life]

lol yes, there's a lot of gents here too... I almost said something about that in the first post then just skipped it.

Shouldn't have skipped this bit though:

 

[CountrySass20]

Thank you chooks4life! The fresh garlic in their diet is a awesome idea! I can see how it helps since garlic is used even in humans to strengthen the immune systems. Sounds like something I will try. I am working on getting all the materials I need before purchasing my chicks..I can't wait. But I also wanna have a good insight going into this as well. I'm thinking of buying 5 chicks to start out with and as I gain experience I will get more

 

[lereg15]

Well, this is not the normal advice, but personally I don't use medicated feed, I use raw garlic instead to prevent coccidiosis. Unlike when using medicated feed, there haven't been any losses to cocci when using garlic as prevention.

Their very first feed has a few cloves of finely minced raw garlic, the fresher the better. From there I can give it to them once a week or so and it's sufficient, never seen a case of coccidiosis throughout all the years of feeding chooks garlic to prevent it. A zero percent mortality rate to disease in chicks year after year after year must be worth something I reckon.

How do you feed it to them? Do you add it into a quart container with the rest of thier food, or do you use less food for it?

 

[lazy gardener]

I don't use medicated feed either. Never have, probably never will, never had issues with coccidiosis. Am a huge fan of fermented feed. Have been using it for over 18 months with excellent results. I give my chicks a plug of sod in the first week and continue giving it often to help them build a natural immunity.

 

[CountrySass20]

Oh my.....I'm so sorry cavemanrich, feel kinda silly now thank you for the help. I am so glad to be receiving all the advice I am getting

 

[chooks4life]

How do you feed it to them? Do you add it into a quart container with the rest of thier food, or do you use less food for it?

I'd just make up the normal food for all the chooks (whole flock, adults and chicks alike, more protein added later for chicks), mix the minced garlic in, scoop out some and they could pick at it as they pleased. Most of the time they went after the garlic first.

I've never had garlic-averse chooks but some people find it a bit difficult to teach adults to eat it. Could be quite strange to chooks that have only ever known crumbles or pellets.

Raising chicks on the same ground the whole flock covers, and by their mothers, has a lot to do with coccidiosis prevention and resistance. Genetics also play a part, but feeding only cooked foods, like pellets, crumbles etc are, with only cooked proteins and oils in them, is something we acknowledge is unhealthy for most species yet persist in doing to chickens, and the guts of animals fed only cooked foods are generally very prone to all manner of digestive issues and diseases. So grain from day one, or other uncooked food, is also helpful.

I don't use medicated feed either. Never have, probably never will, never had issues with coccidiosis.

The most problems regarding cocci I ever hear about are in those that regularly use medicated feed or otherwise try to protect their chooks the most, chemical-cleaned concrete-floored runs, every vaccine available, the works... Overprotection kills so many chooks each year, I believe.

Am a huge fan of fermented feed. Have been using it for over 18 months with excellent results. I give my chicks a plug of sod in the first week and continue giving it often to help them build a natural immunity.

Interesting, I know some people have no cocci issues without using 'any' (that is, obvious or officially endorsed) preventatives, but I'm of the opinion quality of feed and being on dirt has a huge impact on coccidiosis rates. Well, of course, gut health is so pivotal to the whole issue. I've heard some people introduce dirt into artificial brooders to help the chicks gain some exposure before taking them outside.

I know with goats and sheep giving newborns access to good dirt to eat can be the difference between life and death, particularly those that are orphaned or separated pre-colostrum. Used to be written in old farmer's manuals but to say such a thing these days could get you the side-eye and a subject change, lol. However it was definitely instrumental to assisting the microbiome of the sheep and goat orphans I've raised.

Do you raise yours with their mothers?

I noticed years ago my very best mother hen would teach her chicks to not take food from a dish, making a warning noise so they left it alone, then she'd dig it through the dirt, back and forth, basically tossing it like a salad lol, then dig it up, then tell them to eat it now it was filthy... Since her chicks were always the best despite them mostly not even being her actual offspring, just fosters from various lines with siblings being raised by other hens to compare them with, I started feeding all the chicks in the dirt from that day onwards as a test, and it helped so visibly that I've done it ever since.

I've also seen adult chooks deliberately do the same to their own soaked grains so often that I almost always feed them on the dirt now. I sometimes see them deliberately bury grains and leave them, then months later come back and dig them up unerringly, a bit like squirrels with nut caches lol. Appears to be a self-medicating trait.

Best wishes.

 

[lereg15]

I'd just make up the normal food for all the chooks (whole flock, adults and chicks alike, more protein added later for chicks), mix the minced garlic in, scoop out some and they could pick at it as they pleased. Most of the time they went after the garlic first.

I've never had garlic-averse chooks but some people find it a bit difficult to teach adults to eat it. Could be quite strange to chooks that have only ever known crumbles or pellets.

Raising chicks on the same ground the whole flock covers, and by their mothers, has a lot to do with coccidiosis prevention and resistance. Genetics also play a part, but feeding only cooked foods, like pellets, crumbles etc are, with only cooked proteins and oils in them, is something we acknowledge is unhealthy for most species yet persist in doing to chickens, and the guts of animals fed only cooked foods are generally very prone to all manner of digestive issues and diseases. So grain from day one, or other uncooked food, is also helpful.

Ok, thank you!!