how old does a chick have to be before feeding it veggies?

[Feathers n Fur]

Hello! my mom and i are getting 5 one day old chicks from mypetchicken. i noticed that some people on BYC have been saying that they've given their chicks greens and that they love it. i would like to do the same, but i dont want to start too early. At what age do you think i could start them on some fruits and veggies?

Also, someone said that adding sand to their food helped prevent to pasting up. how much should be put in? Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

In nature, a mother hen will show them what they should eat and that's greens, seeds, fruits, insects, etc. - at all ages.
That said, chick grower feed is optimal nutrition for birds from birth to laying age and I don't rush to feed things that will take the place of that nutrition even though those things are nutritious.
That's because if I feed greens or whatever, I don't know how it impacts the protein/vitamin/mineral intake.
When the birds are old enough to go outside I let them forage but I don't "feed" anything but grower.

 

[Feathers n Fur]

Thank you very much for your advice.

 

[Dagirls]

What about sand? I was wondering also as I cant get grit?

 

[Imp]

I've always given my chicks small amounts of finely chopped veggies and other foods from the day they come home from the feed store.

Sand is OK and often recommended, but usually a coarser sand, like construction sand is suggested.
Don't use cage bird grit, if it has been fortified with calcium.
Here's a picture of chick grit:

Imp