Quick question

[Kathecc]

I have 9-week -old chickens or chicks when do you stop feeding them Chick starter not really sure when to start them on the other stuff. And how old do they need to be when you stop putting their food and water in with them? Not really sure. Looked up a couple on the internet but everybody has different ways. Just looking for some help. Thank you

 

[Quarterhorses1]

I have 9-week -old chickens or chicks when do you stop feeding them Chick starter not really sure when to start them on the other stuff. And how old do they need to be when you stop putting their food and water in with them? Not really sure. Looked up a couple on the internet but everybody has different ways. Just looking for some help. Thank you

I used to be all uptight about raising my babies, and let me tell you, they’ll be fine either way. I stop feeding chick feed when they look big enough to eat the big pellets . And I keep food and water readily available at all times

 

[TOMTE]

Hi!! Have you checked out the articles?

 

[TOMTE]

Didn't mean to post yet anyways, the articles are chock full of helpful info! I come back to them again and again.

Lots of people feed all flock food to their flocks of all ages. I feed mine the 20% protein flock maker crumbles by Kalmbach. Then, once they're laying age, you can supplement oyster shells for calcium.

 

[TOMTE]

Oh! And some people do keep food and water in the coop, but I don't. My girls are only in the coop to sleep and use the nest boxes, so it isn't necessary to keep food and water in there. I just keep it in the run.

It really depends on how much time they're spending in there, which depends on how you tend your flock. If you keep them in the coop for longer periods (like in bad weather), you will probably want to keep food and water in with them.

 

[Kathecc]

I used to be all uptight about raising my babies, and let me tell you, they’ll be fine either way. I stop feeding chick feed when they look big enough to eat the big pellets . And I keep food and water readily available at all times

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'm like that with every animals just want the best. makes me feel not alone. Thank you

 

[Quarterhorses1]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'm like that with every animals just want the best. makes me feel not alone. Thank you

Yeah ofc! I have a small hobby farm and I’ve found that the less you stress it the happier you and your animals will be. Causes more harmony between you and they’re pretty go with the flow

 

[TOMTE]

Yeah ofc! I have a small hobby farm and I’ve found that the less you stress it the happier you and your animals will be. Causes more harmony between you and they’re pretty go with the flow

Yes!! I got my first chickens in July and I've relaxed over the months since then, but I still find myself fretting over little things. Yesterday it was really cold outside (about -10⁰F with windchill) and I kept worrying that they were gonna freeze. But they were fine, they know how to warm themselves up. I find when I stress, they pick up on it and start stressing too.

Not that it's easy to get over the worries, but I have to remind myself often that chickens are hardy little creatures. I just need to watch out for signs of illness or injury and go from there!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Looked up a couple on the internet but everybody has different ways.

The way I look at it we are so different in goals, locations, and methods that there is no one way that is right for everyone. While there may be something unique about an individual that favors a specific method, for the majority of us there are many different ways that work for practically any of us. I'm not talking just about food, I'm talking about anything to do with chickens.

I have 9-week -old chickens or chicks when do you stop feeding them Chick starter not really sure when to start them on the other stuff.

What other stuff? You have lots of options.

I feed an 18% protein Starter for the first 4 weeks. This gets them off to a good start with feathering out and growing in general. Whenever that bag of feed runs out I switch to Grower. They stay on Grower for the rest of their lives unless I again have chicks in the flock. Then they all get the Starter for 4 weeks or more. Oyster shell always on the side for those that need the calcium for eggshells. Mine forage for a lot of what they eat so I can't micromanage what they eat anyway.

Others do it totally differently. Some use a higher percent protein Starter, Flock Raiser, All-Flock or such forever with some form of calcium supplement on the side. Some eventually switch to a higher calcium Layer. While some people apparently think you are abusing your chickens if you don't treat yours exactly the same as they do theirs, many people find that different methods can work really well.

And how old do they need to be when you stop putting their food and water in with them?

Some people feed and water only in the coop. Some only in the run. Some feed and/or water in both. We all have our own reasons. I have food and water in the coop and also several feed and water stations widely scattered outside. I don't usually get up at the crack of dawn to open the pop door so I want some food and water available when they get up. I practically always have juveniles in the flock so I want them to be able to eat and drink without having to challenge the adults. Some people can come up with reasons to not do any of this. Good for them, it makes their decision easier. But I have reasons to do it this way which for me override all the reasons to do it another way. I can live with that.