It’s a little milestone, but it still counts! The chicks have graduated to poultry grower feed, from the medicated poultry starter feed that they’ve eaten since we brought them home.
If you’re curious about what poultry starter and grower feed actually mean, starter is the feed given to chicks from hatching to about 6 weeks of age, and grower is fed from 6 weeks to 4-5 months old, when hens begin laying eggs and transition to layer ration. Starter feed is the highest protein of all chick feeds. The non-medicated version is best for chicks who were vaccinated, while the medicated version includes Amprolium to prevent Coccidiosis, a protozoal disease which causes diarrhea. Grower feed has lower protein than starter, but not as much calcium as layer ration due to it having too much calcium before they need it to make eggs. We get our feed from our locally owned store in town or from the UFA feed store.
In an effort to waste less – I had no idea (or had forgotten after 25 years, somehow…) how much feed the little buggers just throw on the ground and then ignore it! – once filled with their new grower feed, I put the feed bucket on a block, inside a rubber feed pan. Maybe they’ll eat from that better than off the ground?
I’m not holding my breath. ;)
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