What to feed chicks

[peekapig]

I was wondering at what age can I start feeding scraps and other things? Do they have to be strictly on starter feed for a certain amount of time?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I like to keep my chicks on starter for the first 8 weeks and then I start mixing other things into it to decrease the protein a bit. But they still need 17% protein at that time, and so I'd keep treats to maybe 10% of the total diet from what I have read, even as adults.

Sometimes you can get them onto a starter/grower and they stay on that the whole time until POL (point of lay). But if you are on 20% protein I'd keep them on it until maybe 8 weeks.

Don't start layer feed until they are laying - too much calcium is bad for them.