I need some advise.
The chicks are almost 2 months old and have been on the chick starter. I was reading the back of the bag, and it said to feed them it for the first 8 weeks. Then the next feed on the bag said it was for meat birds. The chicks will be egg makers, so what do I feed them after the chick starter? When can I put them on scratch? and when do I switch to egg layer?
Thanks
Feeding
Hi miss Jester: I can't tell you what others do but I put my chicks on layer crumbles from the very start. I have a vita-mix that reduces the crumbles to mash. I use that for the first five weeks. Then I put the crumbles in the vita-mix a lower the speed so it grinds the crumbles to a fine crumble. I feed them that until they are three months old. After that the regular crumbles. I have never had any problelms using that process. Good luck Haystack
I have another question Haystack.
I buy the egg maker from Walmart, is that the same as the Layer Crumbles you talk about?
So you never use scratch for your chickens? I have a big bag I got when I only had the rooster, and right now I am mixing it with the egg maker fir the 2 girls and the roo until it is gone, I have about 10 more pounds to go.
Thanks
i use starter for awhile then gradually add the layer crumbles..they really enjoy it..i give them scratch when they are out in the yard..,that way they can do exactly that..scratch outside in the dirt and have fun..
im not fond of walmarts quality..i always buy from tractor supply..its your choice,,walmart might be cheaper..havent checked..
good luck and enjoy the "kids"..mine are kids..love them to pieces..oh yea mine get popcorn and sunflower seeds for yummies too..
cindy
Hi again Miss Jester. I'm not familiar with the egg maker from Walmart, but I will look at it, probably tomorrow as we have snow again today. I can drive in it with no problem, but my eyesight is very poor so I have a hard time seeing in it and don't want to be a harzard to others. The scratch has no real nutritional value so I only recommend it as a treat. It is not that it is bad, it's just not well spent money. I like to feed mine brown long grain rice as a treat. I'm sure others will have opinions on this matter also that you'll appreciate. I have many friends who are hard core oyster shell believers. But to be honest with you, if you free-range the birds will take care of the grit issue on their own. I try to raise healthy happy birds at the lowest cost. Not stingy, rather frugal LOL. I must tell you, I get such a kick out of your care and love for little Billy. Keep up the great work, we all admire what you are doing for him. Haystack
Haystack,
Do you cook the Long grain rice before you give it to them? they will be free range in a month or so, right now they are in a rabbit hutch converted to a chicken coop off my front porch so I can keep an eye on them as the real chicken area is away from the house.
I am lucky to have Billy in my life, God must have known what he was doing putting us together. Here is how we spent our Saturday
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/961
Cindydavis, I wish I had a tractor supply close, but the feed stores prices on egg maker are almost double of what Walmart charges with no real difference. Maybe I could open a tractor supply franchise here... HUMMMM Do you cook the popcorn before you give it to them?
Oh yes by all means pop the popcorn..they love it..and i give them lettuce and other vege scraps..the place where we gets subs saves the extra lettuce and stuff for me..so my "girls" are spoiled..but i sure dont hear any complaints about my eggs..
the weather here has gotten cold again..only 33 right now..but thank god no snow in the forecast.. i am tired of winter..
as long as the nutritional values are the same then the walmart feed should be good..cant blame ya for wanting to save money..we all have to do that..
take care
cindy
No I don't cook the rice, they are nuts about it, thry hardly touch white rice, but they love the brown rice. Cindy is right on, scratch is good for them in the yard, they love to scratch for it. I and my wife just got back from Walmart, when I asked for where they had the egg maker for chicks they looked at me like I was crazy. I asked a number of employees and they all said the same thing. Never heard of it. Maybe its a regional thing. I clicked on the link but could not get anything to come up. It's probably me, I'll try again later. Haystack
I didnt get anything to come up on the link either..must be broken..i called my local walmart, they dont carry anything like that either..so as Haystack said, must be regional..and probably because we have tractor supply and lots of feed stores.
enjoy your chickies
cindy
Our Walmart does not sell chicken anything. Must not be a big sell here. We have a Tractor Supply that is closer than Walmart anyway. Rice is a good idea. I am always looking for fun chicken treats. I feed my babies chick starter until they are about 10 weeks old. I dont think it hurts them. If I am wrong someone tell me. Mine usually will eat it until they get into the big chickne pen.
Jeanmarie
I use a chick starter/grower(purina) until they are almost 5 months then I switch to layer. I think it just depends on what feeds are available in your area. Out of 4 feed stores in a 29 miles radius, there is only one that sells the purina.
I will get the tag off of the bag tonight and bring it in tomorrow. We have 3 feed stores in town, and our walmart does carry Scratch, egg maker, medicated chick starter in with the other livestock feed. They have horse feed, steer feed and even replacement milk for livestock and horses. I think they might have pig feed as well.
One feed store is a crappy place, I wont go there, the other has starter for 50 pounds and I have not tried the 3rd one.
They will be ready to move in the big pen in a few weeks, so I am wondering how to keep the feed seperate from the older chickens. I feed the older the egg maker with some scratch thrown in.
if they are all going to be together, you dont have to keep the feed separate..they can all eat from the same dishes..they are old enough to eat what the bigger ones eat..its not going to stunt their growth or anything like that..
its good to be a worriesome Mama..
cindy
LOL yep I do worry, they are the first chicks I raised and they do belong to Billy.
We got them when they were a few days old, then he left to visit his grandfather for a month. When he got back, he looked in the tote and he said they are not his chickens. When I asked him why, he said cause they are big chickens. I told them they had grown since he was gone... I was laughing all day.
I cook rice, that way I can add yogurt or garlic and they don't make a mess.. I have a rice cooker and throw in about 3 cups once or twice a week.. just for a quickie treat.. not to supplement any feed.
I haven't heard "egg maker" for years! That's all we had around here about 20 years ago.. I never heard of "layer crumbles" till now. :)
I also add a handful of scratch for a treat.. or in the afternoon, since the corn will keep them warm for the night.. so I've read. Corn is a "hot" food.. Having horses, I'm sure you will know what that means.. The scratch has a low protein content.. and will add "empty" calories and too much will just make em fat..
You can also give em some alfalfa to pick at! They will love it and it has a great protein content and great to get some "greens" in em.
Congratulations on your egg.. I forgot!!
No such thing as an "empty" calorie. A calorie is a calorie. Around here "scratch grains" is a mixture of cracked corn, whole oats, and whole wheat. It has 9% protein and 2.5% fat. Not what you would want to feed as the only diet for layers, but it's fine as a supplement. I feed half and half layer pellets and scratch grains, and my hens have been cranking out eggs like crazy all winter.
I can't wait though for the snow to melt and Spring to really be here so I can let them free-range again and eat bugs, worms, and grass. Right now they only have a small area shoveled clear of snow to exercise in.
I lined a box inside the mini coop with the alfalfa when I put them in there, it looks like there is just sticks in there now.. Yep know all about the corn and the heat, had to take my mare off her grains, she was way too rowdy. I have her on just Beet Pulp Pellets to get weight back on her.
I mashed up some egg maker with a hammer last night and added it to the starter, and it was all gone this morning. So maybe this afternoon, I might add just alittle scratch to see how they like it. Will have to pick up some rice.
Well there you go Miss Jester: a whole array of ideas. All of them excellent. Thats the beauty of the forum, great ideas, and whats available. That story about Billy' chickens is just to cute. Hay
I laughed at him when he said it... If you could have only seen it you would have laughed too.. I took him outside to see the 2 girls I got while he was gone, he was trying to catch them and hold them like he use to do to the rocks... They tolerate him, but wont let him pick them up. The Roo is way friendly as well, doe not get aggresive with him.
I like the forum for ideas, and I have gotten some really great ideas and I am thinking that I would not have gotten this far with the chicks if not for all the great advise I got. The down side is seeing all of the chickens when I did not have any, made me go out and buy some... (Maybe not a down side, it was a gentle nudge, or the chicken fairy whispering in my ear thru the pictures LOL)
I have a feeling it was a nudge you enjoyed. I sure do hope you and Bill, as well as the girls have a great evening. Hay
Oh the little girls just loved the scratch, they all were eating. I have started mixing egg maker in with the chick starter and I throw a handfull of scratch in the afternoon for a treat.