What to feed chickens in the first days of life: recommendations
Not all novice poultry farmers know what to feed the chickens in the first days of life. So, regardless of whether you have appearedbroiler or egg chickens, from the first moments of life in their diet should be hard-boiled eggs, crushed wheat, corn, millet, oatmeal and even cottage cheese. It should be noted that cereals in the total amount of food should be about 60%. This is exactly the food that fits in the first and second days of their life.
Remembering what to feed the hatched chickens, andgiving them food from the first hours, you can start the mechanism of the final formation of all internal organs. Do not forget that the kids need to drink. To lure the crumbs to a tumbler, you can throw in it 1-2 tea leaves - this will attract chickens. The chicks will want to stick them together, which will help them learn to drink.
But it is important not only to find out what to feed the chickens inthe first days of life, but also know what to do with them later. So, on the third day, the stomach is already ripe for fresh greens. For them, you can pick a plantain, dandelion, chamomile, clover, dill, nettle. But from the fifth day of life chickens are already ready to eat green onions and garlic, which are excellent preventive measures for various gastrointestinal diseases in birds. But do not forget that they can cause thirst, so give them is in the morning.
In addition, the diet can already includea variety of vegetables, berries and fruits, the main thing - to grind them. If you do not know what to feed the chickens in the first days of life, then remember that in addition to cereals, they can be given carrots, cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, currants, strawberries, gooseberries. The main thing is that the plants are not damaged by rot. From 10 days in the main food you can add boiled potatoes and no more than 2 times a week - boiled fish.
If you have not fully figured out what to feedchickens in the first days of life, do not rush to buy mixed fodder. In its composition, manufacturers often include rye, which can have a toxic effect on the organisms of fragile crumbs, lead to nervous breakdowns and even the death of a young bird. This cereal plant swells fairly quickly in the stomach and promotes the initiation of fermentation. And this is the cause of digestive disorders. Up to two months of age, it is better to do without these cereals.
Experts like to give recommendations concerningnot just a diet, they can also tell how many times to feed the chickens. So, the established norm is the schedule, in which food is given to babies every 2 hours. But many farmers do not block access to food throughout the day. Just remember, dry food can be consumed constantly, it does not deteriorate, but it is better not to leave various mixtures with boiled vegetables, fish for more than 1 hour. They can sour and lead to problems with digestion.
By the way, since the seven-day age will be good,if you install a special feeder, which will be large sand, ground shells or small gravel (the diameter of the fractions should not exceed 2 mm). Such additives contribute to better freening of food, digestion of food, saturation of the body with chicken calcium.
