What to feed babies after you ran out of food

[Brethechickenmom]

Hi, I'm wondering what I can feed baby chicks? I'm about to run out of food but this coming Wednesday I'll be able to buy some more. I read oars and rice but I want to get another opinion.

 

[MountainWoman73]

Hard boil an egg and mash it with a fork and mix in a little cornmeal.

 

[Ebony Rose]

By my calculation, you're saying that you're about to run out of chick feed and will be out for nearly a week. Your post doesn't say how old these baby chicks are, and answers to how to stretch their groceries can vary wildly based on that bit of information. For chicks at or under about three weeks of age, I second the motion to offer mashed hard boiled eggs but I would mix it [fresh daily] with some of their remaining normal feed to help stretch it. If your chicks are at or over three weeks of age, You can further supplement/stretch their normal feed with mashed hard boiled eggs, ground up dry cat food (high in protein), and/or canned sardines, tuna or mackerel (preferably packed in oil as the added calories are a plus). The following suggestions would only be appropriate if these chicks have had access to grit/sand to enable their gizzard to grind the food: some table scraps, bits of fresh hamburger (my insect substitute of choice), fruits, vegetables and even lawn clippings can offer them diversity, entertainment and nutrition. If the chicks are 6 weeks or older, you might consider integrating them into your existing flock (if you have an existing flock) or allowing them some 'free range' time in a safe, secure, predator & escape proof run or back yard, to allow them to supplement their remaining feed with whatever they can forage.
And... if you do have an existing flock (and feed for them), your baby chicks can eat the adult food for this week that you're running short on their baby food. One week of adult chicken food won't hurt the babies, even if the formula is for laying chickens... it's only for a week.

 

[Brethechickenmom]

Hard boil an egg and mash it with a fork and mix in a little cornmeal.

Things are crazy in my town right now due to the virus all the stores are out of eggs, I read oats and cooked rice could work. Is that true
I'll be buying better bags of feed for them. this one was a "gift" and he know it wasn't enough for 8 chicks

 

[Ebony Rose]

Things are crazy in my town right now due to the virus all the stores are out of eggs, I read oats and cooked rice could work. Is that true
I'll be buying better bags of feed for them. this one was a "gift" and he know it wasn't enough for 8 chicks

So boiling eggs is out of the question since you don't have nor can you get any.

Both oats and rice (by itself) are very low in protein but will provide much needed calories. If you only have oats and rice for them, it would need to be cooked (and cooled); In no way would this be a nutritious meal, but it will hold off hunger pangs.

Can you COOK some lentils or beans with the rice? Rice when is paired with beans/legumes can provide a complete protein (one that contains all the necessary amino acids) and would make for a much superior option than oats and rice on their own. This of course will need to be mashed fine after cooking as this chick is well under three weeks old and is unlikely to have had access to grit to tuck into her gizzard to grind her food. You'd still need to find some calorie boosters with this method.

Your little ones needs both calories AND protein. Feeding chicks this young without chick feed is going to be a challenge without eggs. Eggs ALSO are a complete protein and can be eaten without grit. I hesitate to suggest taking sand out of your back yard to be used as grit because that could introduce a whole host of OTHER problems (such as coccidiosis) that you currently haven't a way to deal with because of the coronavirus issues.

Due to the coronavirus, with curfews, shortages, and orders to isolate, is it possible for you to obtain a cheap bag of sand at your local hardware store? It makes excellent chick-grit and has usually been in the bag for a sufficiently long time to kill off parasites in it.

Is it possible for you to obtain wet or dry cat food? You'd need to grind the dry cat food, then moisten it; but with it's exceptionally high protein would be a suitable one-week fix to the dilemma.

Keeping you and your feathered family in my prayers

 

[centrarchid]

Age of chicks?

 

[Brethechickenmom]

Gbeyre

Age of chicks?

They're at least a week old they've gotten much bigger so they could be older

 

[Brethechickenmom]

I

So boiling eggs is out of the question since you don't have nor can you get any.

Both oats and rice (by itself) are very low in protein but will provide much needed calories. If you only have oats and rice for them, it would need to be cooked (and cooled); In no way would this be a nutritious meal, but it will hold off hunger pangs.

Can you COOK some lentils or beans with the rice? Rice when is paired with beans/legumes can provide a complete protein (one that contains all the necessary amino acids) and would make for a much superior option than oats and rice on their own. This of course will need to be mashed fine after cooking as this chick is well under three weeks old and is unlikely to have had access to grit to tuck into her gizzard to grind her food. You'd still need to find some calorie boosters with this method.

Your little ones needs both calories AND protein. Feeding chicks this young without chick feed is going to be a challenge without eggs. Eggs ALSO are a complete protein and can be eaten without grit. I hesitate to suggest taking sand out of your back yard to be used as grit because that could introduce a whole host of OTHER problems (such as coccidiosis) that you currently haven't a way to deal with because of the coronavirus issues.

Due to the coronavirus, with curfews, shortages, and orders to isolate, is it possible for you to obtain a cheap bag of sand at your local hardware store? It makes excellent chick-grit and has usually been in the bag for a sufficiently long time to kill off parasites in it.

Is it possible for you to obtain wet or dry cat food? You'd need to grind the dry cat food, then moisten it; but with it's exceptionally high protein would be a suitable one-week fix to the dilemma.

Keeping you and your feathered family in my prayers

I can definitely do some beans I'm not sure what kind they are though. This is my first time having chicks and I'm learning.

So boiling eggs is out of the question since you don't have nor can you get any.

Both oats and rice (by itself) are very low in protein but will provide much needed calories. If you only have oats and rice for them, it would need to be cooked (and cooled); In no way would this be a nutritious meal, but it will hold off hunger pangs.

Can you COOK some lentils or beans with the rice? Rice when is paired with beans/legumes can provide a complete protein (one that contains all the necessary amino acids) and would make for a much superior option than oats and rice on their own. This of course will need to be mashed fine after cooking as this chick is well under three weeks old and is unlikely to have had access to grit to tuck into her gizzard to grind her food. You'd still need to find some calorie boosters with this method.

Your little ones needs both calories AND protein. Feeding chicks this young without chick feed is going to be a challenge without eggs. Eggs ALSO are a complete protein and can be eaten without grit. I hesitate to suggest taking sand out of your back yard to be used as grit because that could introduce a whole host of OTHER problems (such as coccidiosis) that you currently haven't a way to deal with because of the coronavirus issues.

Due to the coronavirus, with curfews, shortages, and orders to isolate, is it possible for you to obtain a cheap bag of sand at your local hardware store? It makes excellent chick-grit and has usually been in the bag for a sufficiently long time to kill off parasites in it.

Is it possible for you to obtain wet or dry cat food? You'd need to grind the dry cat food, then moisten it; but with it's exceptionally high protein would be a suitable one-week fix to the dilemma.

Keeping you and your feathered family in my prayers

 

[Ebony Rose]

Beans alone is also incomplete. Cook the rice with the beans to get the complete amino acid profile, then mash that all up. You didn't say if you were able to get them some sand/grit, or get some cat food. Please don't leave us hanging here. We need to know what we have to work with so we can brainstorm healthier solutions for your little ones.

 

[Brethechickenmom]

Beans alone is also incomplete. Cook the rice with the beans to get the complete amino acid profile, then mash that all up. You didn't say if you were able to get them some sand/grit, or get some cat food. Please don't leave us hanging here. We need to know what we have to work with so we can brainstorm healthier solutions for your little ones.

So far ive grounded up beans really fine for Grit and I put rice and oats in a food processor and got them combined and chopped up it's all cooked except for the beans but I'mma add cooked ones soon. It came out sticky. I don't know if they it's food or if I'm doing this right. I don't want them to be hungry. I feel awful, if I was there when the feed was bought I would've gotten a much bigger bad.