How Chicks Grow the First Year

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1 How Chicks Year Grow the First I t i s f a s c i n a t i n g t o watch how chicks grow, during the first year of their life. The downy chick goes through stages to become an egg laying hen or rooster. Starting at day one, from hatch, the little barely developed, downy chick grows quickly into an eating and growing machine. It takes a lot of growing and eating to become an egg laying hen! During the first week, tiny feathers start to emerge on the chick s wings. Within just a few weeks the small chicks have tiny feathers covering most of their body. The downy coat may still be there in some spots but most of it is gone by 5 weeks. Chicks grow incredibly fast.

2 Feather Development and Feeding Requirements of Growing Chicks As they grow the chicks appetite will increase also. The small feeder that took the chicks two days to empty now may be empty a few times during each day. You can increase the amount of food available to the chicks by adding a mason jar or plastic quart bottle to the feeder base. Still continue to provide free choice feed and room temperature water for the little flock. Chicks don t know the difference between day and night and will feed all day long. They alternate between periods of waking and eating with periods of sleep.

3 Appearance makes a big leap around 10 weeks of age as the chicks enter the awkward phase of development. The chicks look like their legs are too long for their body. But the biggest appearance change you will see is in the feathers. Some of the down is still sticking around but now it looks like tufts of fuzz. The new feathers are growing bigger but often not as fast as the chicks body. All these factors combine to make the chick look like an awkward teenager. Is that an Extra Large Pullet? During this phase, you may start to notice that one of the chicks or more, look different than the others. At this time, you may be able to tell if a chick is a maturing rooster. Often, the cockerel or growing rooster will have larger feet, bigger comb and will stand taller than the pullets. Of course the true answer will come with either the first egg or the crowing, at a later date.

4 The feathers continue to mature and the growth starts to slow at around 16 to 20 weeks. Your hens are close to maturity. Roosters may take longer to show full maturity and mating behavior. Usually, before the first year is reached, young roosters have claimed their favorite hens and are actively pursuing them during the day. As a pullet gets closer to laying her first egg, she may squat down as you approach her. This is the way she will also act if she is willing to accept the breeding advances from the rooster. What to feed as the chicks grow Start the chicks off with a commercial chick starter feed. This ensures that they are getting everything they need for strong growth, bone development and feather growth. A lot is going on in that tiny body as chicks grow. They need a balanced diet in order to be a strong egg layer in just a few months. With so many options for starter rations on the market, I am sure you will find one that you are happy to feed to your new flock. Medicated or Non-Medicated Starter Feed? The choice of feeding a medicated starter feed or a nonmedicated feed is up to you. The medication in the starter feed is a mild coccidiostat. Often, newly hatched chicks will pick up cocci from the environment. This is a debilitating disease for a growing chick. Cocci are small protozoa. They act as a parasite in the chicks system, attacking the intestinal lining. This often causes runny, bloody diarrhea and death. The small amount of coccidiostat in the chick ration will prevent this. The decision is yours to make. Plenty of chicks grow up perfectly healthy with out a

5 medicated feed. I prefer to use at least one bag of medicated feed to ensure that the chicks have some protection. Starter Feed Until Age 16 Weeks Continue to feed a chick starter ration until 16 to 20 weeks of age. Feeding a layer ration too early in the development can lead to kidney problems and growth issues. The calcium and phosphorus levels are carefully maintained in the starter feed ration for the growing chicks. It is appropriate for the fast growth of bones and feathers in the non-laying birds. Chicks are not interested in free choice calcium before they need it for egg shell development. The starter ration has the calcium they need for proper bone growth. Excess calcium will result in bones growing too fast and becoming thin and weak.

6 What is Scratch Feed? The grain ration commonly called scratch is a mixture of cracked corn and oats and maybe one or two other grains. The chickens love it but it does not contain all the nutrients that a growing chick or a laying hen require. Using it as a treat is perfectly acceptable. Feeding only scratch to your flock is not going to meet all the nutritional needs of your birds. Free Ranging Depending on your set up, free ranging might be a safe option. Many chicks and hens are lost to predators, so keep that fact

7 in your mind if you leave your flock to free range. It is still advisable for the optimal egg laying level, to feed some layer ration to your flock, too. The hens will lay more eggs if all of their nutritional needs are being met. The Brooder Setup as Your Chicks Grow Providing appropriate housing changes as the chicks grow. The tiny fluff balls that live happily in a plastic bin during the first few weeks, soon find that their wings carry them out of the box. A next step in housing might be using a chick corral. Chick corrals stand about 20 inches tall and surround an area that you designate for the chicks to stay inside. I like to use a plastic child s swimming pool, and surround it with the chick corral. This combines easy cleanup with a taller barrier to keep the chicks where I want them. Eventually, as the chicks become fully feathered and the night time temperature stays above 50, the chicks can move to the out door coop. I still recommend that they stay separated from the existing flock as they gradually get to know one another. We often use metal fence panels, or dog crates to introduce the new flock members to the older chickens.

8 Don t Rush the Transition to the Coop I know that it is tempting to move the chicks to the coop earlier. If the chickens are not fully feathered, moving them to the coop without a heat source can lead to chilling and death. As each area of the country has different weather, I suggest you check with other chicken owners in your area and come up with a plan you are comfortable with. Often local feed stores will hold chicken workshops in the spring to help new chicken owners get comfortable with their new flock.

9 This post contains affiliate links. If you click on these links, and make a purchase, I will receive a few cents in the affiliate program. This does not in any way affect the price you pay for any items you purchase. Think of it as an easy way to contribute to my coffee fund and keep this blog going. Chicken Feed Brand Does it Matter?

10 Chicken Feed choices! Brands So many What chicken feed brand should you choose for your feathered friends? Does it even matter? With so many choices offered in most feed and farm supply stores, you could get a headache trying to read all the different labels! So let s break it down and take a look at what is offered. First of all, different areas have different feed brands available. Some are only available in a small, limited market.

11 Let s look at your chicken s nutritional requirements. Chickens need protein, carbohydrates, and fats, along with the appropriate vitamins and minerals. Most starter and grower rations will have 18% to 20% protein. This is formulated for growth and development of bones and internal organs. In addition, the fat, carbohydrate and protein amounts will be formulated with vitamins, and minerals for growth. In some cases, a starter ration will pave the way to a grower ration. You will see grower rations used more in a broiler chicken (meat bird) facility than in a backyard chicken raising project. feed. The final feed transition is to a layer As a growing pullet reaches maturity, the nutritional needs change. As the pullet begins to lay eggs, the calcium requirement increases dramatically. Excess calcium fed to growing chicks can actually result in weak bone formation because the higher than necessary calcium causes fast bone growth. In addition, a fully grown hen does not usually need the protein level of a growing chick. This is why most people will start their chicks with a chick starter/grower ration and then switch at around the time that the hen reaches maturity. An exception to the protein requirement might need to be made during a hard molt. Temporarily increasing the protein for laying hens, during the yearly molt may help them regrow feathers faster before the winter weather sets in. As a side note, this is also an excellent time to treat your hens to some tasty mealworms, scrambled eggs, and occasional treat of cheese to add protein into the diet.

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14 How is Chicken Feed Formulated? Protein: 16% protein is the norm for laying hens. If you have a rooster, don t worry. This is adequate and acceptable nutritionally for him too, even though he is not producing eggs. The main source for the protein in commercial feed will most likely come from corn and or soybean meal. Fish meal will supply some protein and also a good source of calcium and phosphorus. Some smaller feed mills are offering soy free and corn free alternatives to the traditional chicken feed choices. Unfortunately, these feeds are not available in all markets. If you are interested in feeding your layer hens a

15 corn free, soy free, or organic feed, checking most feed dealer s websites will give you information on where the feed is available. Read the labels. Each bag of feed sold in the USA is required to have a nutrition tag on it. The tag will state the ingredients and the percentages of the main ingredients. Protein levels should be between 15% and 18%, sourced from grains, or soybean meal. The label will state if the grain is all corn or list the individual grains. As stated earlier, the calcium need of a laying hen will be much higher than that of a growing chick. Look for a rate of 4.5 to 4.75% and make sure the Phosphorus percent is also listed. The Phosphorus level is usually around.40%. Calcium and Phosphorus, along with adequate Vitamin D work together for strong egg shell formation. Ground Limestone, ground oyster shell, and fish meal are all common sources of calcium

16 and phosphorus. You can save your egg shells at home, rinse to clean, dry completely and crush fine, before adding them back to your chicken s feed. Fat content should also be specified. Most commercial feeds will use vegetable oil. This is the source of energy and it is as important as the protein level for growth and production. Pellets, Crumbles, Mash and Scratch The feeds come in a crumble or a pellet form. The pellet form helps them get more food into their bodies in less time. Occasionally, you may find a mash form of chicken feed. Mash is a very finely ground grain formula. Scratch is a mixture of three to five grains, primarily corn. It is not recommended as a complete feed for laying hens, but, it is a tasty treat and the chickens will be happy to receive it occasionally. Some people use it for training the chickens to go in the coop at night. It can also be used as a training reward in other situations. The fact that it is a high carbohydrate food makes it unsuitable as a primary food. Chickens can overheat in warm weather when fed only scratch grain. On the other hand, it can help the chickens to keep warm during the cold weather months, when added into a regular layer ration in small quantities.

17 Decisions Decisions Now that we ve discussed why there are different formulas for different ages, let s explore the different brands on the market. I don t mean that I will be examining each brand specifically, but instead talking about what to look for in each specific brand. Soy free, Organic, non- GMO, All Natural, Vegetarian, name brand, generic brand, store brand, so many choices and how do you make a decision? If you know even a little about the ingredients on the label of each bag, you can decide what is right for your flock. If raising an organic flock of chickens is important to you, then

18 search for an organic feed in your area. A couple brands to look for are Scratch and Peck and Countryside Organics. Purina has an option in the organic, soy free market but it is only available in some parts of the United States. Nutrena Feed has a line of chicken feed called NatureWise. While not being an organic feed, it is a reasonably priced alternative. The feed contains no antibiotics or hormones. Be aware that even if a feed is vegetarian, this does not make your chicken a vegetarian. Chickens naturally eat bugs and worms and enjoy doing so. Unless you are keeping them in an environment completely away from nature, they are going to be adding protein from insects to their diet, making them not complete vegetarian fed. Purina and Southern States are the leading options for poultry feed in my area. I have used feed from both manufacturers and I don t see much, if any, difference in using one brand over the other. My chickens eat both well, and I have not noticed any difference in egg production using one versus the other.

19 Store brands of chicken feed Dumor is one of the well known private label brands on the market. Sold by Tractor Supply farm stores across the country, the feed is comparable to the other major commercial feeds. If possible, learn the manufacturer of the feed being sold under a store label. Chances are it is being milled by one of the major feed companies anyway, but offered at a discount price due to volume bought, lower advertising cost, and cheaper packaging. Other options You may live near a feed mill that sells certain animal feed formulas. If you have the space to store the bulk feed, this may be an economical choice. I would ask for the feed ingredients, to be sure that all of your hen s requirements are being met. In addition, ask if antibiotics are in the feed. Personally, I don t mind using a coccidiastat for my chicks, but I am uncomfortable adding antibiotics to their feed with out a reason. Each of us needs to make that decision for ourselves. I realize that the feeds I mentioned are certainly not a complete list of what is available in our country. The point is, we have many choices of what to feed our chickens. Take the time to read the labels, and decide what is the best feed for your flock and your wallet.

20 This post appeared first on Backyard Poultry Magazine.com