Millet for babies?

[Awestruck]

I am in a slow process in restructuring my chicken feed. Trying to add ingredients that are fairly high in protein. I'm using the chick starter mainly for the babies and layer pellets for the big girls. I gave the big girls some millet today. This is a new food for them. I am wondering if I could give some to the babies who are around 1-1.5 months old. I like to have a little variety for them but don't want to give the babies something they might not be ready for yet. Thanks for everyone's help here.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Millets range from about 8% to almost 14% protein - red millet, the most common, is only about 8% and as a result has relatively small amounts of amino acids across the board. I do not recommend providing a low protein, high tannin source to your birds during their most critical growth period. Stick with the starter food.

If you insist anyways, because you think your birds need variety, get white (proso) millet, which is considerably more expensive. Virtually no tannins, near 14% protein, good levels of Met, tolerable levels of thre and good tryp. Not a great lysine source (muscle - particularly breast muscle - development). Balance that with a similar dry weight of cowpeas (i.e. blackeyed peas), cooked in plain water, then mashed with a fork.

All your birds can eat that AS A TREAT. Not to exceed 10% (by weight again) of their daily feed intake)