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Oh, there is indeed a standard. But you don't hear it mentioned as much here at BYC. After all, there are so many yummy treats to feed our birds!
But here it is, anyway: Feed only chick feed and measured amounts of green feeds, like this:
First 3 days - NO FEED. Only water.
Day 4-7 - Chopped cooked egg, mixed with fine oats and dried, crumbled cornbread, wheat bread, etc.
Day 8-10- Begin weaning onto chick feeds
Day 10 onward - Chick grower/starter feed free choice and a midday "treat" of green feeds: cabbage, kale, greens of all kinds, grass, dandelion leaves, etc., all chopped fine and what they will eat within 10 minutes or so. A little goes a long way for chicks, so go easy.
After 8 weeks shift them to grower ration, then to complete layer ration by weeks 16-20. Continue the moderate midday greens feeding as part of their regular diet. As long as you stick to ration feeds and greens, grit will not be a neccessity.
As soon as you start feeding grain, scratch and seeds of any kind, it will be needed. If they are not on dirt nor have access to it, and you are feeding these things, give them a small dish of grit: fine pebbles, finely crushed mortar rubble, etc.
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There are many more things that can be fed, like table scraps, garden trimmings, Cheerios etc. But to make it simple, it's best to stick to the basics until they are out and about in the world...
PS. Greens should be hung/suspended so the birds get exercise jumping and springing to get at them. Not too high, but not easy pickins', you know?
