Talk to me about chick bedding and food!

[pkgal21]

Everyone does things differently A lot depends on if you have other chickens and if you are going to integrate them into an existing flock(?)

If this is your "first batch" of chicks - then they can eat chick starter up until point of lay, then you can switch to layer if that's what you choose. Sometimes, I feel all too often people switch to layer too soon. I know if you go by the info on the feed bags (think Purina) they say to switch to layer at around 16wks. I don't think it will hurt, but a lot again depends on the breed. "Heritage" dual purpose breeds take longer to start laying and they definitely are slower growing and I feel like they need the extra protein that starter or a 18-20%grower will provide. If you have Leghorn type birds, then layer at 16wks is probably o.k.

All said and done - if you are integrating youngsters with adults - for me, I find it easier to have one feed that covers all bases. This is why a lot of us use an all flock or Flock Raiser type feed - I don't have to worry about too much calcium for the littles and don't have to worry about keeping up with different types of feed formulas. Just provide oyster shell free choice for the adults.

As for "treats" - again, we all do things differently - you will eventually become comfortable and confident in what you do and find what works best for you. I do give mine "treats" in the first week. Chick sized poultry grit is also provided free choice. I introduce chicks to things they will have as adults - I usually place a small slice of cucumber or a couple of finely chopped grapes, etc. in the brooder on a coffee can lid. They will investigate and taste. I don't expect them to scarf these things down, but they will come to recognize this as food/treats. By week 3 they have a handle on picking the "innards" out of a hanging piece of cucumber, apple, squash or will tug at and eat cabbage or kale leaves. Hard boiled egg is also a weekly treat too. Everything in moderation. Even with my adults, they do not get any treats until midday - they eat their feed all morning, then get a treat, they eat their feed for the rest of the day.

Just my thoughts.

Thank you. These will be my first and only flock, so I definitely want to do what is best for them from the start.

That being said, I do not compost yet, and I'm not at a point in my chicken journey where I feel like I want to take that on. Especially the idea of growing bugs, lol. I know its silly, but it just sounds terrible, right now anyway. I know that as my chicken obsession grows, that will likely change.

Without a compost, where do I put the chicken poop? I'm doing "sand" for my coop and not the DLM.

When do you move them outside to the coop? I'll have mine inside while they need more warmth.

Does anyone have a brand of food they recommend?

 

[1CuriousCreature]

I use white shelf liner on top of pine shavings for the first week until the chicks learn what food looks like. It keeps them from eating pine by mistake and the gripping is good for traction.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have a garden?
I have quite a bit of property, so I put my poop in a designated area on the edge of my field, this will eventually be used in the garden and such. Hopefully others will chime in with what they do with poop for smaller properties.

When to put them outside, again is a personal choice. Chicks are so very dust, so getting them outside asap is best. Since this is your first batch, I recommend that you have your coop ready before they arrive - you can brood directly inside your coop! Use a mama heating pad method.

For me, I have a brooder/grow out pen, chicks will go in there the first week. I do monitor them closely, but they do fine with the heating pad method and having wind protection. Even in temps that dip into the low 30s overnight. It all depends on your comfort level. If they have a good source of heat, know how to use it and have protection from wind/elements they should be fine.

 

[lazy gardener]

What type of bedding and food is best for starting? And what else, nutrition wise, do they need?

For your use, I'd go with large flake pine shavings. No need to clean them out of the brooder, simply top off what's there as needed. Your brooder needs to be big enough. They will need 2 s.f./bird by the time they are 2 - 3 weeks old. An appliance box does a great job and it's free! Keep the litter dry by hanging the waterer at shoulder height. Or raise it up on some bricks or scraps of wood. If they kick shavings into the water, or the jar gets cross threaded, you will have a water leak, which can be disastrous for the chicks if not caught and fixed right away.

Poultry Nutri-Drench is a must have for ALL of my chicks. They get it for the first 2 weeks. Be sure to change out the water every 24 hours. Any water amended can be a source of bacterial growth. Save your money: electrolyte mix packets are an un-needed expense. You can make your own electrolyte: 1 qt water, 1/2 tsp each baking soda and salt, 2 TBSP sugar. Even then, electrolyte may not be needed. If all your chicks are acting fine, you can skip it. I do use this mix (even add 1 tsp of flavored jello powder) for my birds during the first hot days of summer. If giving electrolytes, always offer an alternate source of plain water.

A plug of sod from an untreated lawn will give them: a kick start to build their natural gut flora, first grit, minerals, first greens, practice at scratching for their grub, first dust bath, a few seeds, and hopefully some little insects and a worm or two for their first animal protein meals!

A tiny bit of scrambled egg. Be sure that when you give them egg, that it does not get left in the brooder to spoil. My chicks get scrambled egg every day.

Please consider using a heating pad style system instead of a heat lamp. Much safer, more natural, reduces chick stress, gets them settled into a natural day/night rhythm.

Other considerations: fermented feed. Better feed conversion rates, improved gut flora, the fermentation process actually produces methionine and lysine, as well as some B vitamins.

While you intend to use sand in your coop, and there are those who prefer that, I will tell you that the exposure that I've had to sand as bedding has convinced me that it is not a good choice. Even when meticulously tended, the fecal dust filters down through the sand, and is air borne as well. I have reactive airway disease. I have a friend who uses sand in his chicken coop and pigeon aviary. I can go out and visit my birds in their deep litter coop. A 5 minutevisit to my friend's birds in their sand floor coops will set my airway on fire for about 24 hours. For the same reason, I WILL NOT brood chicks in my home. Chicken dander is like a fine oily silt that covers every surface, including vertical ones. It is very hard on the lungs, and very difficult to clean up. My chicks are brooded in an outdoor coop with the MHP system. No stress to them from being moved to their outdoor coop, and no mess in my home. MHP keeps them toasty warm, even when temps go down into 20's at night. They acclimate to outdoor temps (no weaning involved) and natural day night cycles.

 

[Miss Lydia]

One nice thing about Flock Raiser it's being an all flock you can start your birds out on it and never have to change. [Crumbles to begin with] then once laying begins just put out Oyster shell in separate container and they will eat it as needed.

 

[Aji Dulce]

Everyone does things differently A lot depends on if you have other chickens and if you are going to integrate them into an existing flock(?)

If this is your "first batch" of chicks - then they can eat chick starter up until point of lay, then you can switch to layer if that's what you choose. Sometimes, I feel all too often people switch to layer too soon. I know if you go by the info on the feed bags (think Purina) they say to switch to layer at around 16wks. I don't think it will hurt, but a lot again depends on the breed. "Heritage" dual purpose breeds take longer to start laying and they definitely are slower growing and I feel like they need the extra protein that starter or a 18-20%grower will provide. If you have Leghorn type birds, then layer at 16wks is probably o.k.

All said and done - if you are integrating youngsters with adults - for me, I find it easier to have one feed that covers all bases. This is why a lot of us use an all flock or Flock Raiser type feed - I don't have to worry about too much calcium for the littles and don't have to worry about keeping up with different types of feed formulas. Just provide oyster shell free choice for the adults.

As for "treats" - again, we all do things differently - you will eventually become comfortable and confident in what you do and find what works best for you. I do give mine "treats" in the first week. Chick sized poultry grit is also provided free choice. I introduce chicks to things they will have as adults - I usually place a small slice of cucumber or a couple of finely chopped grapes, etc. in the brooder on a coffee can lid. They will investigate and taste. I don't expect them to scarf these things down, but they will come to recognize this as food/treats. By week 3 they have a handle on picking the "innards" out of a hanging piece of cucumber, apple, squash or will tug at and eat cabbage or kale leaves. Hard boiled egg is also a weekly treat too. Everything in moderation. Even with my adults, they do not get any treats until midday - they eat their feed all morning, then get a treat, they eat their feed for the rest of the day.

Just my thoughts.

Regarding the oyster shell, should I still make that available if my chickens free range during the day?

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Regarding the oyster shell, should I still make that available if my chickens free range during the day?

Yes. It's always best to make oyster shell available free choice for your girls

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Regarding the oyster shell, should I still make that available if my chickens free range during the day?

Yes - oyster shell is a supplemental source of calcium necessary for hens to produce and expel good, strong eggs. There is generally not sufficient calcium available in the forage to make up for this.
You may be thinking of "grit" rather than oyster shell in your question, though - grit is the small pieces of rock which birds pick up and swallow so that they can work in the gizzard to effect good digestion of food that is consumed. Provided the area the birds are ranging in is well "seeded" with natural grit items of suitable size and make-up it is not always necessary to provide supplemental grit. That being said, the cost of a bag of grit is so minimal that I file it in the "better to have and not need" category meaning I always provide easily accessible grit in addition to what the birds may be able to find in their ranging area because poor digestive health can contribute to a host of issues.