Treats and food?

[PunkinPeep]

How long do i have to wait before i can give my chicks treats like food scraps from the table and vegetables and stuff. Also, i'm feeding them chick starter right now, but i don't know when to switch them off of it .... and all that stuff.

 

[Judy]

You did not say how old they are. There is a lot of variation in opinion on this here. Most feel you must also offer grit when you start treats, and unless they are several weeks old, and on the ground, and can get enough grit to grind their food from the ground, they will need special small-sized grit.

You can feed starter or starter/grower til they start laying or are at laying age, then they need layer feed. Some people can buy separate starter and grower feeds, but here they just sell a starter/grower, so idk when others switch to grower.

You also did not say what kind of chickens. If they are meat birds, it is different, and idk about them.

Have you tried the search function here?

 

[PunkinPeep]

thanks for the advice. it helps.

they are 4 week old buff orpingtons hens - for laying.

and i have tried the search function for other questions but haven't had any luck.

 

[rachaelc]

I feed my little ones mixed greens , grass, and spaghetti noodles. No sauce They are anywhere in age from 1 week to 3. I just watch to make sure their poop stays fairly normal. They don't get this all at once. Just a little something everyday.

 

[cmom]

From another thread.

A chicken's food goes, as is, into the crop, where it is slowly funneled into a very small " stomach" for some digestive additives--then to the Gizzard, where it is 'chewed', that is, ground into material that can be digested as it moves into the intestines and so on. The Gizzard is best able to break down whole grains and other chunky bits that they eat when full of grit. Longest lasting grit is Granite, that lasts well. All other rock and stone is so much softer, that it wears down fast and that is why granite grit is best choice, works really well for best utilization of feeds. My baby chicks are given free choice and they choose it with pleasure, baby grit is fine Granite, as soon as they are given anything besides Starter Crumbles. Their tiny gizzards are at optimum function at an early age. I feed my birds Starter/Grower feed until they start to lay then I switch over to layer feed. If I have any Starter/Grower feed left over I mix it in with the layer feed.

I give mine almost everything. Here is the link to BYC Chicken Treat Chart.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart