Baby chick starter feed

Chick Starter Feed: What to Feed Baby Chicks | Purina Animal Nutrition

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Backyard Poultry

Starting a Flock : Considering Chickens

Starting a Flock : Chick Nutrition

Starting a Flock : Caring for Chicks

Patrick Biggs, Ph.D.

Nutritionist, Companion Animal Technical Solutions

Feed your baby chicks a Purina^® complete chick starter feed with all the unique nutrients they need to start strong and stay strong.

One of the first questions we hear from new chick parents is: What do baby chicks eat?

Lifetime success begins on day one of your new chick’s life. Their road to becoming happy, healthy hens that lay delicious fresh eggs for you, starts with daily care and high-quality chick starter feed. Baby chicks need unique nutrients to grow into strong, egg-laying hens. Each necessary nutrient – and the proper balance of them – plays a role in growth, performance and flock happiness.

Caring for baby chicks

Caring for baby chicks begins with a warm brooder and good nutrition. You can download resources to help you welcome home new chicks from our New Chick Parent Resource Center.

Feeding chicks for a strong start can better equip them for a lifetime of success. Early nutrition develops the digestive tract and builds a healthy immune system, ultimately improving chick growth. Providing chicks a complete chick starter feed is key.

Chicks grow quickly, doubling their hatch weight in the first week and growing up to seven times their hatch weight in the first month. This early growth requires the correct balance of nutrients.

What to feed baby chicks

Start your chicks strong by feeding a complete chick starter feed from day 1 when you bring them home until the first egg arrives around week 18. Each of the feeds below is formulated to provide all the nutrition your chicks and other poultry need for a strong, healthy start and lifetime success:

For chicks vaccinated for coccidiosis: Purina^® Start & Grow^® non-medicated feed
For chicks not vaccinated for coccidiosis (or if you’re unsure of their vaccination status): Purina^® Start & Grow^® Medicated feed
For organic chicks: Purina^® Organic Starter-Grower feed
For ducklings: Purina^® Duck Feed
For mixed flocks: Purina^® Flock Raiser^® feed
For broiler chicks: Purina^® Meat Bird feed

Complete chick starter feeds include all the nutrients baby birds need to start strong and grow at the proper pace. Some nutrients directly impact bone, skeletal and chick growth while others work in tandem to support overall bird health and appearance.

Nutrients in Purina^® Start & Grow^® and Organic Starter-Grower complete chick starter feeds include:

18 percent protein and 1.25 percent calcium for bone and body growth
Prebiotics and probiotics for immune and digestive health
Amino acids for muscle and feather development
Marigold extract for brightly colored beaks, feet and legs as well as overall appearance
Phosphorous and trace minerals for bone strength
All the vitamins your chicks need for overall health and growth

Continue feeding the same chick starter feed to your chicks from day 1 to week 18. We recommend waiting to introduce treats or scratch to your chicks’ diet until week 18. If you are feeding a complete chick starter feed, your chicks do not need grit. If you start chicks on a medicated chick starter feed, keep feeding the same medicated feed until their first egg.

Most layer chick breeds will lay their first egg around week 18. At that time, choose a layer feed with the Purina^® Oyster Strong^® System to help your hens lay strong and stay strong. Other species, like ducklings, stay on starter feed longer, 24 to 26 weeks, before transitioning to a complete feed.

Want more tips on how to start your chicks strong? Visit the New Chick Parent Resource Center for downloadable guides, videos, customer testimonials and more.

Chick Starter Feeds | Purina Animal Nutrition

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Backyard Poultry

Starting a Flock : Chick Nutrition

Starting a Flock : Caring for Chicks

Purina Animal Nutrition

To start baby chicks strong, provide a complete starter-grower feed with all 38 nutrients they need each day. Choosing between a medicated or non-medicated chick starter feed depends on whether or not your baby chicks have been vaccinated for coccidiosis. Continue feeding the same chick starter feed from day 1 until week 18, or when the first egg arrives.

When selecting a chick starter feed, first look for an option that is complete. Complete chick starter feeds from the Purina^® Flock Strong^® Feeding Program are formulated to provide all the nutrients needed in one package. Look for 18 percent protein to support early chick growth, vitamins and minerals for development and ingredients such as prebiotics and probiotics to support chick health.

What is coccidiosis in baby chicks?

Coccidiosis is one of the most common diseases chickens face. There are numerous strains with at least seven strains known to affect chickens. This intestinal disease is caused by parasites, called coccidia oocysts, which live in the soil and can be carried by equipment, people or other birds. Keeping the brooder and environment clean for growing baby chicks is a key to helping them grow strong.

Once ingested, these oocysts reproduce in the chicken’s intestinal tract. When the population of oocysts reaches a high enough level, the chick becomes sick. An infection damages the intestinal lining of the bird’s digestive system, preventing nutrient absorption within 4 to 7 days.

Symptoms of coccidiosis in baby chicks often include a change in droppings with blood, mucous or diarrhea. The disruption in the digestive system causes birds to stop eating, seem very tired and experience decreased growth. Impacted birds can appear hunched with ruffled feathers. If symptoms progress rapidly, death is possible.

Baby chicks are most susceptible because their immune system is still developing. When the oocysts enter a chick’s digestive system, it is less able to fight off the infection because the beneficial bacteria in the chick’s digestive system are still growing. Once the chicks have recovered from a coccidiosis infection, they build immunity to that specific strain and are less likely to get sick from that strain again. Just remember that there are several types of coccidiosis that can cause your chickens to get sick.

Coccidiosis is a species-specific disease. This means that you, your children, or your other pets will not get sick from the oocysts in your chickens. That doesn’t mean that they can’t get coccidiosis, but it won’t be because of your chickens.

Prevention through vaccination

One way to prevent coccidiosis is through vaccination. Hatcheries are able to vaccinate chicks prior to shipment. To prevent potential disease problems, purchase chicks from a credible U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean hatchery or your local Purina^® retailer. Ensure the hatchery vaccinated chicks for both coccidiosis and Marek’s Disease, a Herpes virus found in poultry.

Because coccidiosis and Marek’s Disease can impact chicks at a very early age, the vaccinations should be provided at the hatchery in the first few days of life.

If chicks have been vaccinated against coccidiosis, a non-medicated chick starter feed can be provided. Select a complete feed that includes: Enhanced amino acids to promote early chick development; prebiotics and probiotics to support immune health; and a balance of vitamins and minerals to support bone health and bird growth.

Build immunity through chick starter feed

Another way to address coccidiosis in baby chicks is through the feed you provide. Medicated complete feeds, like the medicated option of Purina^® Start & Grow^®, includes 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.

Chicks that are fed a cocciodiostat are more able to fight off infection from the environment. This is because the preventative in the medicated chick starter feed can then slow the growth of oocysts while the chicks develop their own immunity.

Be sure to feed a medicated (with Amprolium) chick starter feed to chicks who were not vaccinated for coccidiosis. For chicks that were vaccinated, it will not hurt to feed the medicated version but the added protection may not be needed.

How long do you feed medicated chick starter? Regardless of which chick starter feed you choose for your baby chicks, feed the same starter-grower feed from day 1 through week 18, or when the first egg arrives. At this time, you can begin the transition to a layer feed.

In either case, be sure to provide a clean, warm and draft-free brooder along with fresh feed and water. Comfortable, well-cared for chicks are most often the happiest and healthiest.

Want more tips on how to start your chicks strong? Visit our Chick Resource Center for everything you need to start chicks strong.

Compound feed "Start" for chickens: composition, preparation, feeding tips

A well-known folk saying “chickens are counted in the fall” appeared for a reason. This is due to the high mortality of young animals in the first days of life. Moreover, the reason for this is not diseases and conditions of detention, but an improperly selected diet. This is the main factor influencing the production of a fresh and strong stock, which in the future can demonstrate high egg production or good weight gain. nine0003

Content:

Compound feed for chickens - main advantages
Description of compound feed "Start"
Appropriate age to use Start
Compound feed analogues "Start"
Formulation and composition
Preparation and Feeding Rules
Dosage advice
Helpful Hints for Breeders

Compound feed for chickens - main advantages

Properly selected nutrition will not only provide the chicks with excellent health in the future, but also increase their productive abilities. It is the diet and its wealth that form the basis of immunity and resistance to various infections, diseases and parasites from the first days.

Choosing a combined feed, the breeder receives a completely balanced and prepared type of feeding, which includes not only the main grain components, but also a sufficient amount of micro and macro elements, vitamins and other components that contribute to the proper development of the bird and accelerate its growth. nine0003

Description of compound feed "Start"

This is one of the best feeds today, it is a benchmark for manufacturers and combines only the best ingredients. It is suitable for young animals from the first day of life and has a beneficial effect on their development. The composition is well digested and perfectly absorbed, suitable for ordinary chickens and broiler chicks.

Among its advantages are:

Composition - well-chosen components with all the necessary additives and biologically active substances. nine0011
Feeding scheme - the food is very easy to use, does not require time-consuming kneading and preparation.
Savings - portioning and rational use will reduce waste and minimize food costs. Dry mixes do not deteriorate in the feeders, do not turn sour.
Growth quality - due to the composition of the feeding significantly improves the quality of weight gain, improves immunity and reduces mortality.
Convenience - feed can be easily divided into portions or norms without spending much time. It is not necessary to measure the amount of proteins, minerals and vitamins by grams, it is enough to open a pack of the finished mixture and distribute it among the feeders, observing the required dosage. nine0011
Storage - the food lies perfectly at home at room temperature and is unpretentious.
Cost - quite adequate prices help poultry owners to significantly reduce the cost of feeding young animals.

Appropriate age for the start food

It is this type of compound feed that was popularly called "null" because it is perfect for feeding only hatched babies from the first hours of birth. But there are slight differences in the composition for ordinary chickens and broilers: nine0003

Suitable for chicks from 0 to 7 weeks of age (laying hens) but no more.
For broilers, two weeks of feeding with this feed is sufficient. It can be used without additional additives or in combination with grass, wet mash, but be sure to provide young animals with unlimited access to water.

Compound feed analogs "Start"

Among the competing feeds, you can most often find PC-0, intended for nutrition from 1 to 14 days after birth. PC-5, or "krupka", is also one of the most popular. Also there are "Starter", "Nulevka", the feed of the "Solnyshko" brand has become widely known. nine0003

Separately, it is worth paying attention to the markings PK-5-3 and PK-5-4, which are suitable for special feeding of weakened or sick chicks. Sometimes they are called prelaunch.

Formulation and composition

The main components of the Start feed are wheat and corn, which are supplemented with:

limestone and fish meal;
salts;
soybean meal;
vegetable oils; nine0011
enzymes;
antioxidants
and other additives.

Exchange energy indicator - 305 Kcal.

The mixture for newborn broilers is slightly different in composition. It has an increased percentage of crude protein, added fiber, and an exchange energy index of 300 Kcal. The composition also includes acids in the form of methionine, lysine, cystine, tryptophan compounds, sodium, calcium and phosphorus. nine0003

The combination of all components is balanced and selected taking into account the characteristics of age. The content of nutrients, trace elements, minerals allows you to deliver everything you need to the body of the chick, having a good effect on digestion, the formation of the bone skeleton, and a rapid increase in muscles. After using this feed, the chicks improve their egg production and weight, and the body's resistance to various infectious diseases increases.

Start feed contains no antibiotics and their derivatives, GMOs, no special growth and weight gain stimulants. Production is carried out in accordance with established standards (according to GOST 18221 - 99), only environmentally friendly products and natural ingredients are used.

The release form is small crumbs or grains, which are packed in bags of the required weight of 25 kg. When purchasing compound feed, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the composition so as not to purchase a low-quality product filled with artificial additives and synthetic hormones, which have a bad effect on the overall development of chicks and can contribute to the appearance of hormonal and behavioral abnormalities. nine0003

Rules for preparation and feeding

In fact, Start feed is a complete nutritional composition for both newly hatched chicks and grown chickens a few days old. It is completely ready and does not require adjustments and additions.

Every breeder must remember that there must be water in the drinkers at all times. It is important to provide chickens with unlimited access to it.

There is always an instruction on the package, which lists the basic rules of feeding, and lists the daily allowances, so it will be most correct to familiarize yourself with the recommendations and strictly follow them in the future. The daily rate is usually divided into several doses. For example, in the first 5 days, the chicks should eat at least 6, but not more than 8 times a day, after which this amount is reduced to 3–4. Ten-day-old chicks need 3 feedings per day. nine0003

Compound feed is given both in dry form and soaked with the use of broth, whey, yogurt, which should be slightly warmed up, since chickens eat warm food more willingly.

In the future, the owners should remember that it is impossible to drastically change the type of food, it must be introduced gradually, changing the dosage, since the chicks are very sensitive and may react negatively to the changes taking place.

Dosage advice

The correct calculation must be made from the first day. After birth and until the seventh day, 10-20 grams per chick is enough. The second week involves increasing the dose to 20-40 grams. From 14 to 21 days, the volume is increased to 60 grams, from 21 to 28 - up to 80 grams. From the 28th to the 35th day, the total daily weight per head can be from 115 g, and for broilers it can reach up to 170 g. nine0003

It is important to constantly monitor the nutritional behavioral factors of the chicks and clearly understand what they require. If the food is eaten quickly, and nothing remains in the feeder for 20-30 minutes (maximum), it is necessary to increase the daily dose, even despite the recommendations of the manufacturers. In no case should starvation be allowed, otherwise it will have a bad effect not only on growth, but also on the general health of the livestock.

Helpful tips for breeders

The main indicator when choosing a food base is the future purpose of the chick - it will be grown for eggs or for meat. Therefore, the breed plays an important role and orients the owner to the presence of certain components in the composition. Egg-laying chickens need a large amount of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and for meat chickens, protein is a priority, which covers all the needs of rapidly developing babies. nine0003

Another nuance for future laying hens is the absence of hormonal supplements in the mixture aimed at accelerating growth.

In the first days, it is necessary to add a weak solution of potassium permanganate to the drinkers, which will help improve digestive functions, neutralize possible poisoning, improve digestibility and help prevent diseases such as salmonellosis or pullorosis.

An additional feeder can be installed, where calcined sand and crushed shells will be poured so that the chicks can consume natural minerals for the development of a healthy bone apparatus. nine0003

At the age of 3 weeks, the chicks can be let out for walks - for a start for a short period, gradually increasing it. This will not only help strengthen the immune system, but also teach the chickens to be more independent. It is very important to prevent hypothermia in the early days so that the chicks do not catch a cold.

For a change, from the 5th day of life, you can sometimes add protein products such as cottage cheese, buttermilk and whey to the diet, into which you can cut greens, carrots, nettles, cabbage leaves. In some cases, herbs are added to enrich nutrition - wood lice, plantain, sedge. From fruits, preference is given to apples, sometimes garden berries. Among vegetables, zucchini, boiled potatoes, pumpkin are especially popular. Leftovers from the table in the form of cereals, peelings, fish giblets with the addition of salt and ground eggshells can also be given to chickens, but the main thing is that the products are not spoiled. nine0003

Each chicken owner chooses the most suitable and economical option for himself: feed chickens only with natural ingredients or dry food. Compound feed today has gained great popularity among breeders and is quite in demand in the modern market, so you should choose the right manufacturer and be sure to take into account all the recommendations of specialists.

Articles - Southern Crown

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Precise balance of elements necessary for animal growth
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Delicious food - stimulates the active appearance of appetite
Increased immunity - animal deaths are reduced to a minimum
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Animal weight gain is on average 5-15% higher than normal

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Baby chick starter feed

Chick Starter Feed: What to Feed Baby Chicks | Purina Animal Nutrition

Starting a Flock : Considering Chickens

Starting a Flock : Chick Nutrition

Starting a Flock : Caring for Chicks

Related Education Content

Chick Starter Feeds | Purina Animal Nutrition

Starting a Flock : Chick Nutrition

Starting a Flock : Caring for Chicks

What is coccidiosis in baby chicks?

Prevention through vaccination

Build immunity through chick starter feed

Related Education Content

Compound feed "Start" for chickens: composition, preparation, feeding tips

Compound feed for chickens - main advantages

Description of compound feed "Start"

Appropriate age for the start food

Compound feed analogs "Start"

Formulation and composition

Rules for preparation and feeding

Dosage advice

Helpful tips for breeders

Articles - Southern Crown

Advantages of our feeds

Learn more

Baby chick starter feed

Chick Starter Feed: What to Feed Baby Chicks | Purina Animal Nutrition

Starting a Flock : Considering Chickens

Starting a Flock : Chick Nutrition

Starting a Flock : Caring for Chicks

Related Education Content

Chick Starter Feeds | Purina Animal Nutrition

Starting a Flock : Chick Nutrition

Starting a Flock : Caring for Chicks

What is coccidiosis in baby chicks?

Prevention through vaccination

Build immunity through chick starter feed

Related Education Content

Compound feed "Start" for chickens: composition, preparation, feeding tips

Compound feed for chickens - main advantages

Description of compound feed "Start"

Appropriate age for the start food

Compound feed analogs "Start"

Formulation and composition

Rules for preparation and feeding

Dosage advice

Helpful tips for breeders

Articles - Southern Crown

Advantages of our feeds

Learn more

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