What do you feed your 3-4 month old chickens?

[Miss Pam]

I have a question. Why do the chickens leave so much cracked corn behind when they feed? The squirrels love to come by for it, but I feel like I am paying for only half of what they really eat!

 

[LindaB220]

Glad I came too !!!....We are so New at This ...From all the reading on here I feel way Better ..Thanks

Hi RedZ

Glad you came too. Just keep looking on different threads and you will learn a lot.

 

[LindaB220]

I have a question. Why do the chickens leave so much cracked corn behind when they feed? The squirrels love to come by for it, but I feel like I am paying for only half of what they really eat!

Hey Miss Pam

If they don't like it try something else. Or try fermenting the feed and everything is a mush and all is eaten. I have 2 day old chicks on Fermented feed and they are eating away. Do your chicks just throw it out of the pan? Wasted money. The squirrels can fend for themselves. Here's a site that might interest you.

http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

 

[LindaB220]

My latest hatch is 8 days old, and they've been ranging around with Broody since they first peeked out from under. They have access to a feeder of chick starter and cracked corn and occasionally eat from that, but they much prefer the smorgasbord of insects, grass, and kitchen scraps. I don't use any medications on them, and I've never had any problems raising very healthy chicks to adulthood. They have about a half-acre of city lawn and flowers (no herbicides or pesticides) to roam through and a safe locked pen at night. When they're ready, Broody will take them to the main coop at night and I'll know it's time to clean up the brood area for next year. Buddy, the one rooster, and the other six hens (Biddy, Betty, Birdy, Stripe, Pearl, and Whitey) in his harem don't bother them at all. When I throw out vegetable waste, they all, oldsters and youngsters, gather to peck at the pile. Once the chickies start using the main coop, they'll also be able to get into the laying mash, and that will be well before 3 months of age. I've never had a problem with that before, but maybe it's because there's so much other good fodder that none of the chickens eat very much of the mash. Of course, if you have them enclosed in a coop and run, they won't have as many choices, so maybe you have to be more careful about it. All the best to you and your flock!

You sound like you have it going on. Good luck

 

[LindaB220]

Earlier in the posts someone talked about the predators and type fencing they used for their runs. One thin to keep in mind is that if there is racoons, possums and mink around then there is a good chance that you also have fox in the area. If you havent done so yet, you might want to bury some fence about 8 inches into the ground and out another 12 or so inches. Fox will dig under the fence and take your flock one at a time. I lost five barnvelders one night including the most beautiful rooster Ive ever had. made me sick to my stomach. As you may know the barnvelders are not always that easy to find. A fox will also pull on the chicken wire until it breaks and it will break, chicken wire is great to keep chickens in but lousy at keeping predators out of the coop/runs. Ive raised chickens for about 10 years now and if your new at raising them then welcome to one of the greatest hobbies there is. You will get lots of pleasure and awesome eggs from it. Chickens are very relaxing to just sit and watch their antics. Be careful though because it is very addictive and before you know it you'll be like me and have 30 or 40 at one time and will be building coops all over the place lol.

I hear you on that. I need more coops right now.

 

[Miss Pam]

How do you ferment it? I did notice on the mash that they like it with water in it.

 

[Miss Pam]

Okay, sorry, I saw and then read the link. That is very helpful information! Thank you!!!

My babies will love you for it!

 

[kubotafoot]

When I first got some chicks at the farm store. The lady in charge of the chicks said to just feed them one bag of starter and then switch them to layer. But thankfully I had some one to advise me who told me to feed them starter till they start laying. You just have to dig until you find out the truth. LOL

You really have a lot of selections out there. I use medicated feed for the babies and I use it for 8 weeks and then switch from medicated starter to non-medicated starter (they no longer need the medicated) and or grower. Layer is what it saws....Those just about to start or those laying.

 

[RezChamp]

I have a question regarding what  and when to feed them other things other than the store bought "layer" feed.  My girls are about 3 1/2 months old and curious as to when I can feed them other things.  I was giving them a worm here and there as I was gardening the woman at the feed store said I probably shouldn't yet.  They just started on Layer feed and sometimes I throw in their cracked wheat and grit. 

My question is when can I start giving them extra things?  For example I have some spinach that bolted so I was thinking of giving it to the chickens?   What does everyone feed their chickens at this age? 

Thanks so much!

Hi.
WARNING. This may seem a little unorthodox to some of the more modern chicken growers and even cause some strife in some.
My chickens and practically all the ones I saw/knew/of as I was growing up on the farm ate practically anything they could swallow, or peck apart to pieces small enough to swallow. This includes grasshoppers, beetles of all kinds, spiders, vegetable peelings, grass, weeds, flowers, grains....
....and things that would make quite some number of people squeamish.. I still don't know what they found in cow & horse dung but they spent ALOT of time scratching around and pecking in them little "patties".
Anything mommy ate was good enough for baby.
I can't say either way if my Nana's chickens were smaller or larger than what they were "supposed" to be or stronger or weaker than.... I only know they ate lotsa different kyna stuff. ....And the eggs were far more delicious than the eggs I buy from any store..........and better soup and roasts and pie and fried legs........

Chlorophyll is one of the best natural detoxifiers. It's available everywhere and inexpensive. We have a humungous lawn.
When I start chicks from the hatchery(orphans) I feed clippings to my baby chicks at about 1-2 wks. Not much. Enough for them to get a little tug-o-war exercise. Junegrass has seeds on it end of May. Not ripe but it's quite sweet. I found no ill effects on my babies. Actually seems to work as a little pick-me-up.
Dandelion flowers and leaves...vitC, zinc. Good for feathers apparently. Sure looks like it.
Wormwood, powerful dewormer, BUT

it will put a

bitter taste in eggs, flesh and milk.
Nature is pretty smart. But it requires a little more work is all.
That being said I have personally realized greater payoffs co-operating with good old Mother Nature

If I made a living selling beef I would tell all my acquaintances that sheep, buffalo, chicken, pork, caribou, goat, elk, moose, goose, grouse, etc......were all poisonous.

even knowing that my beef was less healthy than......

Didn't intend on writing a novel

 

[CHchickie86]

My five are currently 13 weeks along with two ducks who are the same age. Their regular feed for the moment is Nutrena All-Flock which they all really like and this week I'll be switching them to the Scratch and Peck Grower, after that bag they'll be ready for the layer.

Treats: strawberries, green beans, apricots that were bruised off the tree, summer squash that a squirrel tried to run off with, a handful of wild bird seed that I threw in to keep them occupied. They also went nuts for a few cherry tomatoes that I threw in because a bug had gotten them.

Whatever they get - make sure that they have grit free choice!