In 4-6 hours after hatching, the chicks learn to peck pasture. In the first hours of life, young animals continue to develop internal organs. This complex process takes a lot of energy, so it is very important to start feeding the chicks as early as possible.
Research has shown that chicks fed in the first hours after birth survive 20% more. In this case, the quality of the eggs laid in the incubator should also be taken into account, if its physiological indicators are below the norm, the chickens will be unviable or lag behind in development.
Feeding features
In the first two days, the young are given chopped boiled yolk with the addition of semolina in a small amount so that the feed is sufficiently crumbly. You can introduce into the diet well-crushed shells, previously peeled from a thin film.
The brood should be fed fairly often, every two, three hours, and even at night. Kefir or low-fat yogurt is used as a drink, but since the chickens do not yet know how to handle liquid food, it is necessary to use a pipette.
In the next three days, the diet does not change, except that chopped protein can be added to the yolk, and kefir and clean boiled water can be put in separate drinking bowls.
From the age of five, chickens learn to eat finely chopped greens: alfalfa, green onion feathers, nettle, clover, woodlice, sorrel leaves. Sprouted grains and low-fat cottage cheese are introduced into the diet.
At the age of one week, you should give already crumbly mixtures with yogurt, fish or meat broths. It is useful to use chicken feed with milk powder. This mixture allows for long time absent, allowing the chicks to regulate their own food intake.
On the tenth day of life, vegetables can be introduced into the diet: pumpkin, zucchini, grated carrots, boiled potatoes. From that day on, sand or gravel is poured into a separate feeder to prevent gastrointestinal disorders. Give the chickens crushed chalk or a shell. At this age, they switch to a feeding regimen every four hours, abandoning nighttime feeding.
Gradually, the amount of grain in complementary foods is increased. As they grow up, the chickens themselves learn to find additional food in the fresh air, therefore, the frequency of feeding is reduced.
Content
Remember that dirty drinking water can cause many infections. Drinkers should be designed so that chicks cannot get in. The water is changed two to three times a day, depending on the weather and pollution. Drinkers should be cleaned and disinfected every week. And for the prevention of infections, a weak solution of potassium permanganate is added to the water once every two weeks for half an hour.
A clean chick litter is just as important as proper feeding. In the early days, the bottom of the box, where the chickens are kept, can be packed with newspapers or sawdust. Since the chicks have a permanent lamp on, the litter should be changed 2-3 times a day.
