My most recent hatches are 2 weeks old. They are growing well and very energetic. But yesterday I started noticing that when I feed them, they gorge themselves until their crops protrude way out of their chests. I give them plenty of food, but they go crazy when I add more to the food dish (which is never empty in the first place) Then today I noticed that their keel bones seem to protrude somewhat. I've never noticed either of these things with a hatch before. They're also a little louder than chicks I've had before...loud chirping, chirping, chirping all the time. I thought they were calling for me because I spend so much time handling them, but now I'm wondering if they're hungry?
Recently, my feed store switched to a locally milled brand of chick feed. After examining it closely, I saw that it's only 16% protein. Could this be inadequate nutrition for the chicks? Could this be why they're thin and seemingly insatiable? To be honest, I never paid much attention to the protein %. I always just ordered bags of chick starter, and never had any problems.
Recently, my feed store switched to a locally milled brand of chick feed. After examining it closely, I saw that it's only 16% protein. Could this be inadequate nutrition for the chicks? Could this be why they're thin and seemingly insatiable? To be honest, I never paid much attention to the protein %. I always just ordered bags of chick starter, and never had any problems.
