What age to start BOSS?

[texaspolloloco]

At 11 weeks they do not need oyster shell. The calcium can be bad for them. Give it to them once they start to lay.

 

[texaspolloloco]

My chickens are 11 wks old. They get very occasional black oil SF seeds, along with their grower chicken feed, all the bugs and weeds they can eat when they're outdoors, plenty of grit, veggie and fruit kitchen scraps and oyster shell.

Regarding grit. My feather flock started getting grit as soon as I brought them home (age 3 days). Without an ample amount of grit they will get an impacted crop Bad news!

At 11 weeks they do not need oyster shell. The calcium can be bad for them. Give it to them once they start to lay.

 

[debbiegt]

I give to my girls and boys all the time. I can always tell when the wild birds eat them because they leave the shells behind. I have a couple of 8 week old chick that are now eating with the hens and roos, so they now have access to them as I include it in the mix of their food. They are all free range, I pull weeds and toss them to the chickens because area they free range they have demolished all the greens if there were ever any. I want to plant some thing hardy that will cover the dirt quickly but that will also handle the scratching of chickens and be beneficial for them too if they were to eat it. I tried fodder over the winter a few times and it worked out nicely, but I just don't have trays to anymore. I had bout a seed starting kit, the kind that comes with the jiffy pellets, and poked holes in the bottom of the trays, but the trays didn't hold up very long and figured it would be too expensive having to by the trays all the time. If I could find something sturdier, then I would do it again, but I don't want them too big either.  Any ideas?

I bought these at the dollar store and drilled holes in all but 1

 

[QueenBubbles]

Glad to see this thread my 15 babies are 8 weeks old.. I just started giving them meal worms and grass . I was wondering when to start giving them scratch and other things. Do you give the babies house scraps this young.

I found that the earlier you introduce foods the more open they are to new foods. Also, chopping into small bits make it easier for them to eat.
When we make veggies, I chop the peals, trimmings and tops & mix together. I use the leftover starter feed they don't otherwise eat. Sometimes we have left over rice or other cooked grains - here is this weeks dinner special:

Here are the littles enjoying their dinner:

By chopping up the kitchen scraps, it is easier for them to eat and if they don't eat some of it, it dries out and becomes compost a lot faster and doesn't attract pests.
Hope this helps answer your question!

 

[QueenBubbles]

Thanks for the tip about sprouting the BOSS - I just bought 25# and neither the biggies nor littles were that interested. Even when I cracked them open. Probably because they are otherwise SO spoiled! ;-)

 

[theawesomechick]

hi, my chicks are approx. 3 months old and still on chic starter. They go out in their run and eat green weeds. Do I need to start giving them grit and if so do I purchase it at the feed store and how much do I give them? thanks for your help.

I'm not really sure about the advice I'm about to give you, but I believe that twelve or thirteen week old chicks can be switched to grower feed.

 

[LindaB220]

I'm not really sure about the advice I'm about to give you, but I believe that twelve or thirteen week old chicks can be switched to grower feeesome,

Right, awesomechick, they can be switched to grower and definitely time to start adult grit.

 

[JJSS89]

Kinda makes you wonder how chickens ever survived without us humans to provide them with treats and supplements eh?

GRIT - I've never provided chickens with grit other than the sand and pebbles they have in their runs. If you live somewhere with no sand or pebbles - congratulations, bag it up and sell it

My neighbors just dump a bunch of sand and crushed rock in the pen. No need to have it in a pen.

Oyster shell - provide it free choice if the eggs are flimsy. Don't waste your money otherwise (my experience)

BOSS - provide it whenever you want, I don't think a chick is going to hurt itself eating a seed that is too big. They do like the stuff, it's very filling.

 

[familyfarm1]

Silly question, but does BOSS have nutritional value?

 

[LindaB220]

Silly question, but does BOSS have nutritional value?

Oh my, yes.

general nutritional components of black oil sunflower seed are:

• 28 percent fat
• 25 percent fiber
• 15 percent protein
• Calcium
• B vitamins
• Iron
• Vitamin E
• Potassium