Chicks Nutrition

By Elena Johnson CVC AC

Chicks should be on Chick Starter crumbles.

The first couple days of a chick’s life is very important when speaking of nutrition. The first day chicks should be given Grogel, this is something you mix with water that turns into a bright green gel that attracts the chicks to feed. The high-water content provides hydration, and the concentrated nutrients and beneficial bacteria help hatchlings get off to a good start.

The first through the third day I also give Sav-a-Chick probiotics, each dose of probiotic contains millions of live, naturally occurring bacteria that help chicks maintain a healthy microbiome. Probiotics support productivity of the digestive system. This is to be mixed with the drinking water and is very important for hatchery chicks because they do not have the opportunity to get this from a mother hen. (Chicks will consume part of the mother hen’s feces which gives them the probiotics they need for a healthy gut.)

I also keep on hand Sav-a-chick Electrolyte & Vitamin Supplement, this is handy if you have any new chicks that are not thriving and is also put in the drinking water. This is also what I use for adult chickens who need a boost. Chicks that are vaccinated for coccidiosis should Not eat medicated food because it contains Amprolium. Amprolium is a coccidiostat formulated to reduce the growth of the coccidia oocysts, allowing the young chick to develop an immunity to coccidiosis as they grow into adulthood. Amprolium is the active ingredient in Corid.

Chick Grit should be available in a separate feeder not mixed in their starter feed, starting at 2 weeks old. They will only eat what they need. No treats, they are too young, you can put their starter food in your hand to get them tame. Just hold your hand in and be still. Treats are not a good idea at any age, it dilutes the scientifically complete nutrients of their feed. It’s like putting junk food out next to apples for kids on a table, they will fill up on the junk. They shouldn’t be eating anything but their starter food until fully feathered then they can go outside to free range a little on warm days. Until they get feathers and not down, they can’t regulate their body temperature and need to stay in the brooder. Their diets should be 90% formulated feed for their age and 10% free ranging which for a chick isn’t much.

Chicks can be transitioned to layer feed and oyster shell at 18 weeks. They should not be fed Layer feed younger than 18 weeks unless they have begun to lay eggs because of the calcium content. Calcium can cause permanent damage to the kidneys, reduce lifetime egg production and shorten their lifespan. Once they are adults that 10% is only equivalent to 2 tablespoons per bird, when out all day, they don’t really consume much with all the scratching and pecking. At 18 weeks old you want to offer oyster shell in a separate feeder at all times, this will get them ready for laying around 20-22 weeks old with less weird first eggs.

Too much protein can cause diarrhea and in chicks is converted into uric acid and is deposited as crystals in the joints causing gout. So, no meal worms for chicks. The only thing extra I give mine is a hand full of organic kale in winter when the weather is too severe for them to go out or snow is too deep. Clean water, feed appropriate for age, no junk food. You will have healthy chickens with less problems. According to Dr Patrick Biggs, poultry nutritionist at Purina Animal Nutrition, oatmeal contains Beta-glucan which binds with water and chickens cannot digest. It forms a gel in the intestines that thickens the contents of the intestines preventing proper digestion of food and blocks absorption of nutrients in the oats and anything else they eat while the beta glucan is in the body.

The malabsorption then causes thick, sticky droppings which can cause other health hazards. This thickened digesta has also been known to cause neurotic enteritis aka: rot gut, a bacterial condition that destroys the intestinal wall. Even in small amounts beta glucan can range from mild, reduction in egg laying to death.

Keep Poultry Cell, electrolytes, probiotics (sav-a-chick) and Vetericyn on hand for any illness. Always take a fecal sample to the vet for analysis before treating with medications. Any vet can do a fecal float test, it’s the same as we do for dogs and cats. Vets can also send the sample to the lab if needed. Chickens don’t have the enzymes to digest lactose so no yogurt or dairy.

No ACV, according to Dr. Mike Petrik, DVM MSc, ‘The Chicken Vet’ :

“The value of vinegar has long been exploited by professional poultry farmers. Acidifying water alters the gut’s bacteria, slowing the growth of nasty bacteria, and giving a boost to good bacteria. Acid also helps control coccidiosis and Clostridium bacteria, which can cause a fatal disease called necrotic enteritis.  Vinegar (acetic acid) is a cheap, accessible source of acid that anyone can find. It is, however, not a great acidifier…other organic acids such as butyric or proprionic acids actually work better.

I have never found any study that showed any value to apple cider vinegar specifically, and several studies (the Journal of Applied Poultry Science in 2011, and Asian Australasian Journal of Animal Science), showed that broiler (meat) chickens grew slower when fed 0.5% apple cider vinegar or formic acid vs. pure water. Acidified water also affects laying hens by making the calcium in her feed a little less digestible.

Professional farmers regularly add baking soda to their feed when heat stress is expected….this maintains egg shell quality when hens’ feed consumption drops due to the heat.”

Sources:
https://www.purinamills.com/purina-expertise/bio/patrick-biggs

Dr. Mike Petrik, DVM, MSc, ‘The Chicken Vet’
https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/education/detail/non-medicated-vs-medicated-chick-starter-feed