We've been trying out GroGel on some of our hatchlings to see if that extra little boost can cut down on mortality rates, and we’ve been seeing some good success.
Right now we use it with the Hungarian Partridges because the chicks start out on tables and the white pheasants. If you don't know about GroGel, it's a sort of Wheaties for chicks. It's a soft, bright green gel that helps keep them hydrated, adds vitamins and supplements to their diet, and promotes a healthy digestive tract.
It's easier to use on tables because we mix it up and put it on paper plates with some additional feed sprinkled around it. We have 28 tables for the Hungarian Partridges so we know just how much to mix up so there's not a lot of waste, and we can also tell how much is being eaten and how much it is helping the birds.
We use it for 24 hours and we actually start it the second or third day the chicks are moved from the hatchery and set up with peepers. Two of our managers have been monitoring the use of GroGel and we've found starting it after the initial stress of moving and peeping is actually more beneficial. We see a better outcome with the GroGel use if we wait instead of trying it right away. For specific feed consulting advice fill out our feed consulting form.