What do I feed my baby chicks?

[TT4059]

Today they are 6 days old. I tried giving them chopped tomatoes but they didn’t eat it. They have water and Purina medicated chick feed. I want healthy chicks… what else should I feed them? I have vitamins and electrolytes for poultry… should I put it in their water sometimes?

 

[JaeG]

Vitamins and electrolytes are generally only given at times where you think your birds are stressed and plain water should always be offered at the same time as you are offering a vitamin or electrolyte mix.

Budgie seed is a good first treat food but you need to give them access to grit once you start to offer other foods. If you can find some grass seed heads our chicks have always gone crazy for them - it's quite hilarious. You could try hanging up some greens for them to peck at as well.

A clump of grass with the roots and dirt attached is very beneficial. It gives them something interesting to explore and peck at, and access to dirt from your property starts to build their immune systems, exposing them to what is in your soil and preparing them for when they move outside.

 

[rosemarythyme]

At 6 days old they should be eating their feed. Save treats for when they're older.

Adding vitamins and electrolytes are good for stress (i.e. when they first arrive at your home, or during very hot weather) but are not necessary for regular use.

 

[3KillerBs]

The chick feed is all that they need at this age.

I've only raised a couple batches of chicks so far, but what the experts here told me was that a little clump of vegetation with it's roots and the dirt is a good way to start them developing their immune systems.

I started giving my most recent babies a wet mash made from their chick crumble when they had pasty butt and now, at 10 weeks, they think that's the best treat ever.

 

[TT4059]

Vitamins and electrolytes are generally only given at times where you think your birds are stressed and plain water should always be offered at the same time as you are offering a vitamin or electrolyte mix.

Budgie seed is a good first treat food but you need to give them access to grit once you start to offer other foods. If you can find some grass seed heads our chicks have always gone crazy for them - it's quite hilarious. You could try hanging up some greens for them to peck at as well.

A clump of grass with the roots and dirt attached is very beneficial. It gives them something interesting to explore and peck at, and access to dirt from your property starts to build their immune systems, exposing them to what is in your soil and preparing them for when they move outside.

Thank you for these awesome ideas. Would have never thought of a clump of grass!

 

[CluckerFamily]

I only feed my chicks chick feed. They need all the nutritions from their feed to grow and develop well.
Just remember if you give them food other than their feed, you will need to provide them chick grit.

 

[TT4059]

Thank you all. I have purina medicated chick grit for them. Do you know the age when I should give them dried meal worms and protein like oats? My husband asked should we smash some up for them when they get a little older so its not so big.

 

[Swbertrand1]

We use a medicated chick feed for a Starter Feed, add probiotic with electrolytes to their water, and also give our chicks live mealworms (up to about 3/4" in length) from their 2nd day. They LOVE the mealworms!

Why mealworms and why so soon? It's what mama teaches them to eat at an early age. We watch our mama hens and how they teach the babies, what they teach the babies, and we've tried to mirror that to some degree. They feed the 2 day olds worms, so we do too.

BTW, if you've never seen ten (10) 5-day old chicks go NUTS over live mealworms being dropped into their brooder during the day, you're missing out on one of the funniest things you'll ever see your chickens do!

They race to the worms, grab one or two, run away ducking and diving, sometimes spinning in circles, and generally playing keep-away to keep others from stealing their worm(s) from them, then try to find a safe space to get it down. Other times, one will get one in her mouth and another will get the other end, and a tug-of-war ensues until either the worm breaks or one chick wins out. IT'S HILARIOUS, and THE CHICKS LOVE THE WORMS!

Try it sometime. Your chicks will LOVE you for the worms.........

 

[CluckerFamily]

Thank you all. I have purina medicated chick grit for them. Do you know the age when I should give them dried meal worms and protein like oats? My husband asked should we smash some up for them when they get a little older so its not so big.

Chick grit is little rocks not chick feed. They need grit to help grind up food that isn’t chicken feed otherwise they will have crop issues.
I choose to wait with any treats until they are about 16 weeks just to make sure they get all their nutrients.
They truly don’t need extra protein until they are molting. Molting happens after their first year.
And all treats should be minor, about a tablespoon spoon for all of them together. Treats are like ice cream or chocolate for kids, if they have a choice, that is all they would eat and have no room for nutritional food that they need to grow.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I feed my Chicks nothing but Medicated Start and Grow till 10 weeks old.
They've had Chick Grit mixed into feed from 2 weeks through 8 weeks old.
They've had Adult size Poultry Grit since 7 weeks old in a separate container.

I raised my Chicks inside for 4 weeks before putting them in their own coop. Never took them outside.

My Pullets got their first treat of Scratch Grains last Wednesday at 10 weeks old. A half Tbsp each twice daily.

I've never bought meal worms or any other treats besides Scratch for my chickens in the 5 years I've had chickens. They catch plenty of bugs that venture into their pen.
I do free range after Pullets are laying, around 5 to 6 months old, for an hour before sunset daily.

My 14 months old hens foraging earlier this week.

I do buy a bale of Alfalfa hay during winter season for greens. GC