I'm sorry I'm so stupid!

[golfdiva]

My poor chicks! (Read threads below). The sick one is still not doing well. The others don't exactly look sick, but they don't look "right" either. I have been feeding them chick starter from the feed store. I asked them for chick starter and assumed that's what the kid loaded into my truck. I thought it looked a little "funny" but trusted it was ok.

They are now 4 weeks old. I let them outside for a little bit today, and they made a bee line for the sand and started gobbling it up. I thought that was strange, with chick starter, should they be so desperate for grit?

I showed the "chick starter" to my husband and he was appalled! He said it just looked like scratch that was ground more finely! I immediately went to TSC and bought some Dumor chick starter. (That is what I've always used before.)

I hope I have not harmed my poor chicks forever!

[Neil E. Grassbaugh]

Calm down. Try to get hold of yourself. The sky is NOT falling.

There are hundreds of millions of commercial layers in this country that were started on a mash feed like you are talking aout. It is just the same finely ground ingredients that have not been extruded through a pellet mill. There is no reason to belive that any harm has come to your io your birds

If there is any problem in this situation it will be that there was no coccidastat in the mash feed. Check that out and if there wasn't be prepared for a bout of sickness. Perhaps the curumled feed will have it and trouble will be avoided. There are many feed millers that do not include coccidiastats out of ignorance and cost. And then there are those who have been brainwashed into thinking that coccidiastats are hormone laced antibiotic steroid toxic nuclear waste that any self ritoious expert would disdain. Oftentimes millers and salespeople are lead by this notion into thinking that it is best to sell such products.

It is not reasonale to assume that the chicks interest in grit is an indication of prolems. They do not know that they may or may not need grit.They are chickens. They just eat what nature has programed them to eat. Grit is one of those things

[gregrag]

for Pete's sake--there is no need to be so hard on yourself--everyone learns as we go--untill we reach that Zenith of being EXPERT!!!!! Oh---LOL.... greg

[golfdiva]

Ok, so that was a little over dramatic! I just assumed the feed store food was the same as something like Dumor. It would have been nice to know I needed to add things to the feed store feed, like grit, medication, etc. I'm feeding them Dumor now, I've medicated them, and they are in the coop, so they have access to grit.

Them seem to be doing well. Even the sick chick is making progress...slow but steady. She is still kinda wobbley and tires more quickly than the others, but she has come a long way!