moomin Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 My pekin babies are now 9 weeks old. The breeder said to keep them on Chick Crumb for another 3 to 4 weeks and not to give them grit until 16 weeks. However researching the net and looking in my chicken book it looks like I should be introducing them to Growers pellets now, by mixing it in with the crumb, and on the Growers they will also need fine chick grit! Can anyone advise please as I'm confused?!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 They should be on growers now and have chick or growers grit and then you should slowly start weaning them onto layers pellets around 16 weeks old along with mixed grit Good Luck Any Pics??? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 i give them a mix of crumb and growers from 6 weeks, just growers from 8 weeks and onto layers from 12-14 weeks, when they join the big girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Sorry Fee I bow down to your wisdom! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 Thanks both, will get some growers tomorrow and mix it in Yes Tom there are some pics, here's a few though not very good ones, this was the second day. Poppy, (Partridge Pekin) has had a bit of coccidia, she was hunched and fluffed up, eyes closed a lot of the time and I thought it was stress as a result of the car journey, then on the third morning I saw blood in her poo, not just a touch it was bright red!! I got some baycox fron the vets, 3 days later she is great. Here are a couple of pics, I will take some more updated ones tomorrow as they are now back in the Eglu (I'd put them in the Summer house for a bit of extra warmth whilst Pops was ill ) They are twice as big now and enjoying the space! This is Poppy my poorly one, and Lulu, the buff pekin (she was called Alice but my son hated it as it reminded him of someone at school ) - Perle, the Lavendar, smallest but very fiesty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Thanks Tom, but its not so much wisdom as you you can't put younger ones in with layers and say 'right girls, this isn't for you, you've just to eat from this feeder' Lol........some more remote areas you just can't get all the different feeds , and chicks and chooks survive perfectly well with whatever is available. I've seen people say ' I'll stop giving layers pellets to give the chooks a rest from laying' ........layers pellets don't make them lay eggs.......it's just a nutritionally balanced feed......chickens will lay eggs no matter what you feed them.....thats what chickens do, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I agree with Fee, I would mix it now. I gave my lot access to grit (in a seperate feeder) from the day we got them... not sure if this was right but they are still alive (now 22 weeks!) Hope Poppy gets well soon Ros. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 Thanks Chelsea. I mixed it this morning but the growers pellets seem to big for their little beaks they are so tiny! I've also been trying a bit of a 'Team Building' excersise, that I read on here (I think it was from Egluntine), whereby you sprinkle some treats for the big girls along the perimeter of the babies Eglu run. I tried live mealworms, of course my two old girls went mad for them, but so did the chicks! It was so funny, they have no fear, they were trying to get their beaks through the bars to get to the mealworms!! The big girls took no notice whatsoever and carried on eating! Poppy is a bit better thanks, but still very quiet, unless that's just her nature. I think she is the under-chicken. She looks at me with her little head cocked to one side, I think we are bonding! She's very knowing and she seems to do things quite slowly and relaxed whereas the other 2 rush around like loonies! edited to say I took some more pics today will post them soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Do these 'standard' age bands apply to bantams? I was just thinking about the size of pellets - smallholders pellets state their own our small so suited to bantams as well, but is that the case with all feeds - I assume with slower growing / small chicks they may need chick crumb for longer. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted March 3, 2009 Author Share Posted March 3, 2009 Do these 'standard' age bands apply to bantams? I was just thinking about the size of pellets - smallholders pellets state their own our small so suited to bantams as well, but is that the case with all feeds - I assume with slower growing / small chicks they may need chick crumb for longer. Tracy There's a thought, Tracy. Hope that's not the case I've started mixing them into the crumb and they seem to be eating them OK. The pellets are quite long in size (Organic Feed Company's pellets) but they are soft and break really easily, so I guess when they peck them they'll break up smaller. They seem happy enough. But they have both available so I expect they eat what they prefer (although they do prefer mealworms!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
