Food?

[LoganTW]

Ok so I got chicks from the farm store between 2 and 4 weeks old (I didn't ask how old they are so it's a guess), yesterday, and I'm feeding them ground up corn and oats. Firstly, should I give them grit? Also what about mealworms, fruits, veggies, or just some fresh pulled grass, is any of that ok to give them yet?

Thanks in advance!

 

[mmmeyer]

Double check in the learning ctrl. But I offer all those things to my chickens.however while their young. I try and limit the food to mostly chick feed

 

[jtn42248]

Ok so I got chicks from the farm store between 2 and 4 weeks old (I didn't ask how old they are so it's a guess), yesterday, and I'm feeding them ground up corn and oats. Firstly, should I give them grit? Also what about mealworms, fruits, veggies, or just some fresh pulled grass, is any of that ok to give them yet?

Thanks in advance!

At that age they really need to be on a Grower feed to be sure that they are getting the nutrition they require to grow healthy. Corn and oats will not offer anywhere near what they need. All that is great as treats but they really need a balanced diet.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Ok so I got chicks from the farm store between 2 and 4 weeks old (I didn't ask how old they are so it's a guess), yesterday, and I'm feeding them ground up corn and oats. Firstly, should I give them grit? Also what about mealworms, fruits, veggies, or just some fresh pulled grass, is any of that ok to give them yet?

Thanks in advance!

Are you feeding the corn/oats in place of chick feed or as a supplement to?
Commercial crumble/pellet feeds are water soluble and digest without the use of grit - ANY other food (seeds, etc) are not water soluble and to be digested require the grinding action of a gizzard with good grit. Any "treats" (classified as anything other than the commercial diet) should be no more than 10% of the total daily intake - this is especially important at the chick stage when so much of the growth and development is taking place.

 

[LoganTW]

Ok basically they don't eat chick feed, the store said they don't eat the feed they had them on originally, and I tried a different one they didn't eat at all yesterday, so I tried the corn and oats today. And it worked, so I need some help to figure out how to keep them nutritionally balanced as far as food without using any kind of commercial feed, I will buy whatever I need to, but they need to eat.

 

[LoganTW]

Oh! And they have grit now! and they're using it.