ok so i ahve 9 chicks and they are 4 weeks to 4 and a half weeks old all i have been giving them is 20% chick crumbles when do i change their food and what is grit ....? what type of treats can i give them ?
If they are on "chick starter," you can switch to grower feed in about 4 more weeks. If they are on starter/grower, keep using it til they start laying, or about 4-5 months of age, then switch to layer. Grit is ground granite. Chickens store it in their gizzard and use it to grind up their food. They don't need it to grind up chicken starter or grower feed, but they do if you give them other foods or let them on the ground to find their own. Offer it free choice. They need a smaller grit, labeled for baby/young chickens, at this age. If you can't find it, you can get grit for other pet birds at the pet store. You can give them some treats now. Just be sure most of their intake is chicken feed. Here is a list of good chicken treats: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart Enjoy!
