# How do you provide feed for mom and baby chicks?



## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

I'm sorry. This having a hen raise chicks is brand new territory for me. Just got to thinking I'll have to pick up chick feed for the babies for when they come home on Tuesday. How do you provide feed that mom needs and yet the feed the babies need too? I know chicks can't have adult food. Kind of impossible to feed separately. Will it work to have chick feed is in a low dish for the chicks and then have Lilah's food up higher where she can reach but not the chicks?

Thanks for your super advice. I really do appreciate it.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've always used a 20% feed for all ages. Some feed companies consider this chick feed and is in smaller crumbles, Dumor is one. Some is medicated, some isn't. I stopped using medicated feed years ago when I kept seeing complaints about chicks with cocci even though they were on medicated feed. I just kept Corrid on hand just in case, never needed it. 

You need to make sure the crumble is small enough for the chicks, the rest will pretty much take care of itself.


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## back2simplelife (Jul 6, 2013)

I have been using 20% as well. She won't be laying for awhile so won't need the extra calcium. And after watching our broodie mamas with chicks, I think they deserve the extra protein for a few weeks. Good luck!


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

back2simplelife said:


> I have been using 20% as well. She won't be laying for awhile so won't need the extra calcium. And after watching our broodie mamas with chicks, I think they deserve the extra protein for a few weeks. Good luck!


i start my chicks out on 28% multiflock starter (nonmedicated)

i allow the broody to have her fill too

after sitting on eggs she needs some extra protein like you said

i just had one of my hens sit on duck eggs for 36 days

she is one hard core broody!


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Lilah isn't taking to the babies. That's okay. I'm spoiling them rotten.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

7chicks said:


> Lilah isn't taking to the babies. That's okay. I'm spoiling them rotten.


what breed are they?

my buff orpingtons are great moms


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Lilah is an Australorp. Babies - 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Ameraucana, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte. All girls and sooo darned adorable! I LOVE those fluffy little cheeks on my Ameraucana. Oh my goodness she is adorable. Of course I'm not spoiling any of them ....


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

7chicks said:


> Lilah is an Australorp. Babies - 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Ameraucana, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte. All girls and sooo darned adorable! I LOVE those fluffy little cheeks on my Ameraucana. Oh my goodness she is adorable. Of course I'm not spoiling any of them ....


so Lilah was the broody hen

being a new mom she may no know what to do

get/build a brooder

chicks will quickly die if they are not kept warm enough

good luck
piglett


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Chicks are in the house with me with a heat lamp set up etc. Getting lots of attention in between times.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

7chicks said:


> Chicks are in the house with me with a heat lamp set up etc. Getting lots of attention in between times.


now hold on

did your hen hatch out these chicks?

or did you just buy them & they arrived by mail???


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

I wouldn't think an Australorp would hatch out all those varieties. Probably 7chicks stuck them under a broody. 
That's a hard thing to time, it's usually easier/better to raise them yourself, 7chicks, as you are doing now. You get to peek at them a lot more too!


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Oh I am sooo enjoying the babies. I raised my first hens as day old chicks in the house with me too. When I get home from work, I take them outside with me for a bit while the big girls are out running around. A few of the older girls have come to see what all the noise was about then quickly ran away. Even my most sassy girl came to see them, looked with her eyes just huge, squawked and ran away as fast as she could clucking the whole way. It was a hilarious sight. Wished I could have gotten that on video!


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## back2simplelife (Jul 6, 2013)

That would have been great to watch! I am sorry she didn't end up taking them but sounds like they are being spoiled just the same! Enjoy your babies, they grow way too fast..lol


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

They sure do grow up fast. I'm holding my buff peep right now full of smiles. Loving all 3 girls. Taking pics like crazy. Finally got two of them named. Buff - Katey Jo, Wyandotte - Hana Marie. Still settling on name for Ameraucana. My Ameraucan lays right down in my hand when I pick her up then tells me all about her day.


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## back2simplelife (Jul 6, 2013)

7chicks said:


> They sure do grow up fast. I'm holding my buff peep right now full of smiles. Loving all 3 girls. Taking pics like crazy. Finally got two of them named. Buff - Katey Jo, Wyandotte - Hana Marie. Still settling on name for Ameraucana. My Ameraucan lays right down in my hand when I pick her up then tells me all about her day.


aww beautiful names! Our Buff is Lady (she is a perfect southern Lady.. lol) and my Wyas are Gypsy, Cracker (my now 6 yr olds.. lol) and Zoe. I have a couple gals that will talk my ear off! I have a huge mix of personalities but my Amers could really care less.. now, my Easter Eggers are a different subject! My hubby's will jump on your head if you sit in the coop.. lol My silkie/Cochin crosses are the most talkative of our bunch. I miss babies in the house and can't WAIT 2 more weeks for my eggs to hatch! The chicks I have now are under mamas and well, they went from friendly to overly protective soon after hatch so I try to just sit with them and not handle them. They grow SO fast! I can't believe it's almost time to wean them!


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## chickflick (Sep 23, 2012)

Here in MI, we had our annual Chickenstock picnic yesterday. We had a vet (head of all chicken things in the country) Dr. Fulton from MSU give a presentation. He was awesome! He stated that medicated feed should be fed to the chicks for the first 6 weeks of life.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

I do feed mine that. Always have from day one and always will for young chicks. They have Manna Pro Medicated Chick Feed right now. Sounds like a neat picnic you got to attend. We never have anything like that up here in the U.P. Do have the fur/feather swaps but unfortunately all of them this year have been scheduled on the weekends I work.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Oh my yes, how they do grow up much too fast! Snapping pictures like crazy. I don't want to miss and thing. Can't get home from work fast enough at the end of the day to get to my wee ones and see them. Named the ameraucana/ee (told ameraucana when ordered ...) Brandie. Still haven't figured out a middle name yet. Pics were taken 6/16/2014. They've grown so much since these pics.


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