When should I switch feeds?

[bbowen]

I'm feeding my chicks (6 weeks old) a yellow powdery feed. I also give them about once a week hard boiled egg chopped up with flax seed meal and sesame seeds.

They get chick grit when I can find it but thats not often. I substituted parakeet grit but now the store that sells that only has the kind with added calcium! I have a bag of full size chicken grit but it says 8 weeks or older so I'm holding off.

At what point should I switch feeds? Do you just swap it out or do you gradually introduce the new feed?

Am I understanding correctly that scratch is a supplemental food to their main feed?

They go through a box of parakeet grit in a day. How long does that stuff stick around in their systems? Should I hold off on feeding anything other then the powdery stuff if they don't have grit or can they handle vegetables and such without grit?

Thanks!

 

[Airilith]

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First off, what does the bag say. Yellow powdery feed just tells me that it's most likely crumbles, not what type of crumbles. And until we know what type you're feeding we can't tell you the right time to switch and what to switch to.

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You can buy the parakeet grit (which I was told was fine for chicks) from Walmart. It's a decent sized box for under $2, and lasted me until about 10wks (at which point I switched to chicken grit, which is bigger). I got my chicken grit from TSC.

And you are right to avoid the grit with added calcium.

Quote:
Ok if you are feeding JUST starter you should switch to a grower feed (I believe) at about 8 weeks. If you are feeding a starter and grower you switch to layer pellets at 16-20wks. The feed bag should have feeding recommendations on it. Just make sure you follow the direction for egg layers (or if you have meat birds, follow the broiler directions ... I am not familar with them, so I am speaking about layers here).

I hope I wasn't too confusing there. If I was let me know and I'll try again.

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Scratch is the equivalent to candy, if I understand it correctly. It should be fed in moderation. Lots of people feed a a few handfuls of scratch each evening in the winter because it is seen as 'hot' food because it raises their body temperature a little, and helps keep them warm.

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Wow! How big of a box are we talking about? Like I mentioned above the box I got from Walmart lasted about 8 weeks (I started feeding it at about 2-3wks). If you're talking about a large box, you may have a problem. I read somewhere that eating excessive amounts of grit could signify that the birds are experiencing a nutritional definiciency somewhere. But if you're talking about a really small box, it might be okay.

If you are feeding anything other than chicken feed (crumbles or pellets) they must have access to grit. I've read that if they have access to outdoors they don't need you to supply it as they dig enough pebbles out of the grass. In my case I do not feel that my birds can find pebbles easily enough in my soil. So I spend the $4 for 5lb (for the chicken grit that my birds are on now), which at the rate they're going through it, should last quite a while.

I hope I helped a little!

ETA: PS - You more experienced people please correct me if I was wrong.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

If you get chick starter food the grit is mixed into the food I was told so no need to even give grit while on the starter. I never did and they are just fine. If you get the cheaper kind it may not have grit in which case they say to just sprinkle a handful a day on the floor of the brooder. You may be giving them too much.

 

[jlapham]

Hello! You have some good questions. I don't quite understand why your buying from Wal-Mart but whatever. I don't have anything against them. Anyway you start your chicks on starter feed, when they start feathering in you can start with grumbles, then onto laying pellets, if they are hens,if they are meat birds you need a higher protein or a grower feed. All chickens should have grit, it helps them digest their food in their crop, also provides calcium for egg development. The scratch is like already mentioned, kind like a treat, or candy. Here at back to basics we use scratch feed plus I use meal worms for extra protein and the birds love them them. I use more scratch feed during the winter along with more bedding to keep them scratching, it keeps them active and warm. I would do your feed business with a feed store.

 

[rancher hicks]

You would not switch them to layer until they are about 6mos. Layer has to much calcium for chicks that young. Op have you picked up any publications on chickens.. The hobby farm has a new just for chickens magazine. Check at the book store or you can order it on line. You can of course find all kinds of chick raising information on line. There are many publications on the web. When in doubt don't.

 

[Airilith]

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I assume you are talking to me here as I'm the one who mentioned Walmart. I don't buy my feed from them. I picked up parakeet grit from Walmart, as my feed store doesn't carry chick grit.

Also, starter is a type of feed, where as crumbles is the form that the feed is in (as in pellets vs. crumbles). And from what I understand grit does not supply the birds with calcium. That's what oyster shell is for, and you only feed that to laying birds (because they need the calcium boost).

 

[Tony K T]

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Sounds like a chick starter mash.Add a few crumble feed to their mash and gradualy add more crumble.Do the same to get them to eat pellets.Or if you think they are big enough add a few pellets with the crumble and mash.
At 6 weeks of age,veggies may be to soon for them.Grit helps to break down all their feed so you should have it available to them at all times.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[bbowen]

Thanks everyone. My girls will be for eggs only. I don't know what I'll do when the time comes for one to "pass on" cause I can't see my self doing that.

Here's the label from the bag I'm feeding now:



Here's what it looks like:



Here's what I was using for grit. They clean the dish out of it in less than 24 hours. Not sure how much gets kicked into the shavings vs eaten.



I got that at Wallyworld but now they are only carrying the added calcium stuff. Not many places to choose from around here.

What do you guys think the date on the feed bag is? Expiration? Sell by?