When to stop feeding chick starter?

[gwill23]

Ok my chicks are 5 and 7 weeks old. They all live in with the big chickens in the coop. They go out and free range all day and are locked up at night. I put the chick starter in a protected area in the coop only the chicks can get to. I noticed however that they are eating the layer pellets too. I don't know how to keep them out of it. I assume they will eat whatever they feel they need as long as it is available to them. I would rather they not eat the layer pellets but all feed and water provided in the coop is voluntary.

Of course they are learning from the older ones what to eat and what not to eat. It was funny watching them go after a moth the other night

Anyway. Do I need to do something to keep them out of the layer pellets, or is it ok?

 

[countrygirl911]

i have 5 10 week old chickens, 3 8 week old chickens, and 2 7 week old chickens i have them eating a mixture of feed that is 50% starter and 50% Grower mesh that i buy from the feed store and it is medicated when they all get around 20 weeks old i am going to switch them to layer pellets and some oyster shells, and once in a while give them some scratch and grit. they seem to be doing fine on what i am feeding them now with no problems and i agree with the others until they start laying eggs they shoud be eating starter/grower feed

 

[dee88]

I had my chicks on starter until 10 weeks, then to grower and starter mixed till they start laying, then change to layer feed. I get my feed from Case Tractor Supply and the back of the bags say how old the chicks need to be before changing each of the types of feed.

 

[jaimslee4u]

Quote:
If they are not used to getting anything else than the usuall starter feed they may not recognize the egg as food. Just keep trying. I'm not sure if ok for chicks but I have also offered my girls tuna fish & cat food for protein. Oatmeal too, they like that in the winter.

 

[pkw]

Quote:
I was at the feed store a few weeks ago and this guy came in and asked for chicken food. The feed store employees none has chickens and knows squat about them so they adviced him to get layer pellets. I asked the guy how old his chickens are and he said they were 10 weeks old. I told him he doesn't want layer pellets. He needed chick start or the grow feed. The guy thought I didn't know what I was talking about since I didn't work there and the feed store employees sold him layer pellets.

I tried explaining to the guy the extra calcium is no good for young chicks but he didn't want to listen.

I do give my 10 week old chicks a handful of scratch only as a treat. They love the stuff but their regular feed is grower crumbles or else chick start also. They will eat the chick start better than the grower crumbles.

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
Try Masa - Corn Tortilla mix you can find it in the store, dont get the ready made get the powder form you add water to it.
My mother in law raises her baby chicks on it in mexico and her chicks live a very long time.
What I do is I make very small amount just a spoon or two of it to see if they like it add a little water in drops until you can mash it into a ball.
Hold it in your hand like you would chick feed and let them eat it out of your hand, you can also crumble it and let them see it fall to the floor or where ever you keep them
they will see it falling and chase it.

I use this for treats but I know a lot of Mexicans who raise baby chicks this way and they never have a problem.

With the egg mash it up and again let them see you dropping it in tiny bits and they will chase after it.
Some times they dont like taking things from the hand or bowl and like moving objects.
In nature their mom would teach them to chase and eat moving objects.......seeing it sprinkle from above kind of looks like flys falling from above

Just a thought not everyone has to do this but maybe this will help...

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I keep my birds on starter/grower until they are between 16-18 weeks and then it's over to layer pellets....I have some that are 17 weeks old tuesday so I will be switching them over today.....

PKW, yeah ppl. feel sometimes that because a person works in a particular place they know it all...that is not the case.you were trying to help and obviously they were relying on the feed store ppl. and they told them wrong....that's sad.

 

[snowflake]

all my hens and roos are together, I feed all flock raiser as it is high in protein and no calcium to harm rooster or chicks, I have calcium on the side for those that need it. I have good eggs with hard shells and my chicks are doing very well. when my hatchery babes were in the brooder I did feed chick starter non-medicated, but switched when they went outside

 

[garyangela]

I give my chicks treats along with the starter feed like worms and crickets.