Age to feed chickens table food

[cjpines]

I have 6 hens age 9 weeks. They free roam on pasture, but I'm wondering what age I can start them on table food?

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

They should be fine as long as you make sure they have access to grit.

My girls are only 3 weeks old and have been having select table scraps for over a week now.

 

[cjpines]

Thank you, only select table scraps is the way to go. What they eat is, what you eat. Tks again.

 

[Maggies chicks]

What is grit? Do you need to chop up food for chicks or will they just peck away at any sized food?

 

[cjpines]

Thank you, I will give my chick's age 9 weeks some table foods and see if they like it.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

What is grit? Do you need to chop up food for chicks or will they just peck away at any sized food?

Grit is tiny rocks the chicks use to grind the food in their stomach (since they don't have teeth to chew the food). You can buy it at your local feed store, although if chickens free range on fairly rocky soil, they may find enough themselves.

Softer foods the chicks seem to be able to handle...I've given them halved strawberries, whole blackberries, sliced cooked carrot...I'm sure harder stuff they may have trouble with until they get a bit bigger.

 

[cjpines]

Thank you. I was wondering about the harder foods versus soft. I tried yam and banana smashed for the first time and they didn't know what to do with it. It was funny.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Thank you. I was wondering about the harder foods versus soft. I tried yam and banana smashed for the first time and they didn't know what to do with it. It was funny.

I gave my 3-week-old chicks some banana yesterday and they seemed to like it. I think they've had a bit of trouble with cooked green beans and salad greens so far...either that, of they just don't like green vegetables!

 

[cjpines]

Gosh, I didn't know you could incorporate foods at 3 wks. Good to know. I'm now doing fermented grower starter with some black sunflower seeds, millet and a small amt of flax ground seed along with their scratch. Hoping they will like it.

I did the soak seeds for my finches long time ago an they loved it.