my first lot i started around 3 months then when i had chicks in with them they was getting it from the get go as i couldnt feed the hens separately it hasnt done them any harm
Hello there and welcome to BYC! It is best to wait until they are about 6 weeks of age. Keep the treats down to a very small amounts at first as the chicks really do need to eat as much of their start feed as they can. Here is our treats chart for things you can feed them...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens Enjoy your birds and welcome to our flock!
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help. Chickens can start eating scraps at age 1 week. But they may not start eating them until 8 weeks. Foods that Chickens Love! Berries Greens Don’t give out iceberg lettuce, which is really just green-tinged, unhealthy water and don’t overdo spinach which can result in poor egg quality if fed to often. Eggs and Eggshells-Remember to rinse and crush the shells and cook the eggs before feeding. Scrambled and boiled eggs are also a wonderful snack for chicks and molting chickens. Fruits The fruits you give them can be damaged but never moldy. Garlic-Garlic is very healthy for chickens and acts a natural wormer, laying stimulant, feather re-grower and boosts the circulatory system. It’s also helpful to put in the water or food when a chicken is sick. Herbs Basil, thyme, comfrey, parsley, bay leaves, lavender, calendula, spearmint, lemongrass, catnip, sage, oregano, yarrow, chickweed, marjoram, cilantro, peppermint, clover, dandelions, dill, bee balm, echinacea, fennel, mint, feverfew, garlic, ginger, lemon balm, marigold, nasturtium, nettles, pineapple sage, rosemary, wormwood and cinnamon. Dairy Meat Scraps Don't feed them spoiled meat, as it’s poisonous. Vegetable Pumpkins and Squash Spaghetti, Pasta, Bread and Rice Bread, Cake, Cookies, Cereal, etc Scrape off the frosting on cake and cookies. Garden or Yard Weeds Avoid feeding them yew, mushrooms or fungi. Foods to Never Feed Your Chickens: Alcohol Moldy Foods Anything Salty Asparagus-This will change the flavor of a hen’s egg to a bad taste but it otherwise is not harmful. Avocado-Avocado has a fatty acid in it called “persin” which sadly can be fatal to chickens and sometimes other birds. Green Areas of Potatoes, Peels and Potato Sprouts-All are poisonous to chickens and you personally shouldn’t eat them either! Herbs and Plants to Stay Away from-Azalea, philodendron, rhododendron, sweet pea, black nightshade, foxglove, oleander, castor bean, vetch, henbane, irises, lantana, St. john's wort, trumpets vine, morning glory, datura, clematis and honeysuckle. If any of the herbs you are wondering about are not listed in this book, look them up before giving to your flock. Leaves from Tomato, Pepper, Potato, Eggplant or Nightshade Plants Onions-Onions contain a substance called “thiosulphate” which will kill red blood cells, cause anemia and sometimes even result in death. Potatoes-Surprisingly, potatoes contain solanine which causes diarrhea, heart failure and kills red blood cells. However, sweet potatoes do not contain this substance and are perfectly fine and dandy to feed to your flock. Sweet potato fries are also fine as long as they aren’t salted. Processed Foods and Sweets Raw, Dry Beans Raw Peanuts and Other Nuts Rhubarb leaves-Rhubarb leaves surprisingly contain oxalic acid which is poisonous to chickens. Tobacco Remember, treats should only take up 10% of their diet.
Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. I usually wait until my chicks are five to six weeks old before feeding them scraps. You need to be careful about the kind and amount of scrapes you give them. Starchy treats should be less than 10% of their diet as they will get fat and unhealthy otherwise. It's the equivalent of us eating potato chips and candy. Please feel free to ask if you have any more questions. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.