What can chicks eat?

[Chickiezz]

We bought two bantam chicks today at TSC and they are only a couple days old. Can they eat normal chick food? Or does it have to be watered down or something? I don't know much about chicks and I'm new at this so....help.

ALSO, do they need grit at this age? And when can I feed them treats?

 

[gumpsgirl]

Feed them chick crumbles, or otherwise called starter food. Do not wet it down. Feed molds very quickly and if it gets moldy, will kill your chicks. They just gobble down regular old crumbles!

 

[Teach97]

normal chick food and nothing else...don' water it down...keep plent of fresh water available...don't need grit...wait several weeks before you give anything else

 

[txchickie]

Chick starter crumbles. If they are super tiny bantams you might crush the crumbles down for a few days until they get a bit bigger. Some of those crumbles are big in those little banty beaks!!!

 

[gumpsgirl]

Oh, and not grit is needed while feeding plain starter. I wouldn't add any treats to their diets until they are at least 4 wks. old. Then you can feed them mealworms, hard boiled eggs, etc... If you absolutely want to add a treat to their diets earlier than 4 wks., plain yogurt (no flavoring) is good for them.

Other people will tell you different as far as treats go. I just going by what I do and I've never lost a chick.

 

[Chickiezz]

thanks guys. i used the food processor and crushed up some chick starter.

 

[lindseythefork]

Just chick starter crumbles.

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
I feed mine Quaker Oats mashed with hardboiled egg besides
chicken starter from the day 1.

They love it and they thrive on it.

 

[zatsdeb]

just plain old chick starter..
when they get a few weeks old, I pick grass and throw it in for them, they go crazy! I also read if they pick at each other, you can put grass in there and they will pick at that instead.