Weeks 1 to 6, how much feed will one chick get through?

[chrissieg]

I may well have over catered! I have seven chicks and a 25kg bag of food - 55lb?

Does it taste good with milk and sugar.........

 

[chickenfeathers]

My 6 chicks are 3 weeks old today.

They've almost gone through a 25 lb bag...should have purchased a 50 pounder!

 

[Critter Crazy]

I have 11 chicks now, but just gave 5 to my aun this past weekend. so I had 16 chicks, and I just started my 3rd 25lb bag, and they are 4 weeks old.

 

[mandolinmama]

I think you'll be fine. You can continue to feed it to them long after they are six weeks old.

I wouldn't know about the milk & sugar thing. Did you mean for YOU to eat it??? Yuck! I don't know, perhaps it's a little like grape-nuts cereal! hee hee!

Have fun with our little ones!

 

[MTchick]

I have 8 chicks and have gone through about 40 lbs of food in seven weeks. Considering that I read that they can eat starter until they start laying eggs (a month or two away, at least) I figure the 50lb bag was an excellent buy.

-MTchick

 

[mudhen]

Littlee peeps are nothing but eating, pooping, and sleeping fuzzbutts, and we wouldn't want it any other way!

I agree with mandolinmama and MTchick you can feed the starter well after the six week period. As a matter of fact, one book I read recommended the following:

-Feed chick starter/grower diet through 10-weeks of age.
-Feed a pullet developer between 10- and 20-weeks of age. If a developer cannot be located, continue feeding the grower diet through 20-weeks.
-After 20-weeks, feed a complete laying mash to main high production of good-shelled eggs.

Now as far as the milk and sugar...

Have fun with your little peeps!!!

 

[Arklady]

I reciently started feeding my bantams more of the chick starter because of lower egg production it seems to be working. Because one of the birds is a hen that only lays like once a month and I got two out of her this week.

I guess maybe bantams take more protein than standards.... oh and also. I was dumbfounded to find out that the layer mash I feed my birds is only 16% and that my standards actually need 18%. Go figure I really get tired of marketing techiniques. Just to make me buy other things. *sighs*

Arklady

 

[mandolinmama]

Wow Arklady! I never really paid any attention to how much protien there is in their food before. Now I wish I hadn't thrown their bag out when I put it in their rubber maid tub.
I've got my older birds on Purina Layena. Any idea if it's got enough in it????
It angers me to think they'd market food like that just to save themselves some money at the expense of the health of our birds!!
My babies are on Manna Pro and it's says it's got 18%.

 

[chrissieg]

Thanks very much for all your help. I've been feeding the 'spillage' to my big girls who are all of pensionable age - I hope it gives them a new lease of egg laying!