When to change feed types

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

Those pictured in the feature were not mine. These are the Golden Comet chicks with the Brahma(Carnation) & EE (Dahlia) looking at them. Plymouth Rock (Lily) was in nesting box.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Thank you for sharing ... Wow that Brahma is HUGE & so fluffy

 

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

Thank you for sharing ... Wow that Brahma is HUGE & so fluffy

Thank You, yeah she is a big big girl. That is after 3 months of taking them in. Wished I would have gotten a good picture of them when we took the hens in. They were under weight, dull feathers, nasty hineys. Saw the old coop they had, OMG floor rotted out, 3 years of waste under the roost. No wonder they made a nest in our lawn mower shelter and greenhouse.
Told hubby they probably think they went from the slums to a palace. Food & water available at all times, clean coop(with pine shavings, nice galvanized steel dual nesting box) & run. Have a playground (can roost on top, walk up a ladder and have a swing under the roost).Most importantly no worries of the chicken killing dog ( landlord's son's dog) getting to them, or having to hid from the hawks & eagles. I spoiled all animals. Even have hummingbirds come to the window when the feeder gets low, they are even spoiled.

 

[ChickNanny13]

 

[featherhead007]

Thank You, yeah she is a big big girl. That is after 3 months of taking them in. Wished I would have gotten a good picture of them when we took the hens in. They were under weight, dull feathers, nasty hineys. Saw the old coop they had, OMG floor rotted out, 3 years of waste under the roost. No wonder they made a nest in our lawn mower shelter and greenhouse.
Told hubby they probably think they went from the slums to a palace. Food & water available at all times, clean coop(with pine shavings, nice galvanized steel dual nesting box) & run. Have a playground (can roost on top, walk up a ladder and have a swing under the roost).Most importantly no worries of the chicken killing dog ( landlord's son's dog) getting to them, or having to hid from the hawks & eagles. I spoiled all animals. Even have hummingbirds come to the window when the feeder gets low, they are even spoiled.

Looks like great care you give them, I'm proud of you!

 

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

Looks like great care you give them, I'm proud of you!

Thank You! We had them checked out to insure they got what was needed. Vet said they just needed to put on weight and was getting ready to molt. Nothing medically wrong with them.
I clean their coop(in the morning) and run(after they go in to roost) every day. Hubby shakes his head and says you and your cleaning OCD. I get to shake my head at him. He says they are my chickens but asks every week if they need anything. And checks on them before and after work.

 

[cmom]

My opinion is that you will get a lot of opinions. Personally I give my birds chick feed for the first couple of months then I switch them over to grower pellets and when they start laying I switch them over to layer pellets. I have in the past went from chick starter to layer when they started to lay. I feed them breeder feed about a month or so before I collect eggs for hatching. Good luck and have fun...

I noticed you are a fairly new member to BYC,

 

[cmom]

If you are giving the birds scratch, I hope you are giving them some grit, even chick grit. Birds don't have teeth and rely on the grit in their gizzard to grind the grains.

 

[cmom]

 

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

If you are giving the birds scratch, I hope you are giving them some grit, even chick grit. Birds don't have teeth and rely on the grit in their gizzard to grind the grains.

Yes they get chick grit, plus our soil is very sandy. New to chickens but not birds, have a 18 year old African Grey Parrot and a 17 year old Cockatiel.