What comes after medicated chic crumbles?

[clickncluck]

My speckled sussex chicks are now 4 weeks old. They have nearly all their feathers in and are in room temperature in their brooder. Does their feed need to be advanced at some point? And if so to what? Also is it okay to give them grit that has the oyster shell mixed into it at this age or should I stick with chick grit? The feed store I went to this afternoon only had one kind of grit. I thought Iʻd read somewhere that they shouldnʻt have too much calcium at this age. If you have any information, Iʻd appreciate it. Iʻm a real newbie at this.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Your chicks do not need oyster shells. This is a calcium source for laying hens. You can deal with whether to offer additional calcium later, much later. Not everyone adds additional calcium, because commercial layer feed already has calcium complete in it.

Grit can be simply the sand and pebbles they themselves pick up in the lawn. They use it to grind their rough food, if they eat rough food. If they have no access to the outside, putting a dish of sand in their pen will give them the choice to peck at it.

Feed- You have a couple of choices. You can feed them one more bag of mediated chick starter. I might. If you wish to protect them from cocci, they actually need it now more than they did while they were in the brooder. After another bag, then you can decide whether to switch them to Grower. Some producers make what they call Starter/Grower. You can feed them Starter, Starter/Grower or Grower. It makes no difference.

Wait on the layer feed until they are 20 weeks old or begin laying.

 

[clickncluck]

thanks Fred

 

[stoneeater]

I thought that you had to keep them on the medicated for 8 weeks?
Should they be on medicated until they're outside? for 1 day? a week?