When can I start to feed the chicks new foods

[one_egg_at_a_time]

I wanted to give my guys new foods. I want to try meal worms. Is that ok to feed them? When can i give them other food then the starter feed?

 

[Eastins Eggs]

What kind of bird, (IE: meat birds or layers) and how old?

 

[JenMT]

I am also new at this, but I read last week that you can start the meal worms after 4 weeks of age. Treats should be really limited right now. Are they getting any chick grit? Mine are 26 days old and I gave them some avacado 2 days ago and they LOVED it. It did not give them runny poo but now when I feed them they look at me like....thats it?

 

[one_egg_at_a_time]

I am not sure but I think layers. they are polish crested chickens. They are less then a week old. I got them as day olds on tuesday. They are walking around well now.

 

[Imp]

Be careful with avocado. It's supposed to be bad for chickens. Don't know why. I remember it was a big no for caged birds, when I had parrots. Although I've given mine items that some say are bad for them with no ill effects.

Imp/Russ

 

[Eastins Eggs]

I would stick with the starter feed until you move them out side then feed your worms sparingly with the commercial feed.

 

[gritsar]

Polish would be egg layers. They really need to focus on the complete nutrition of their chick starter right now.
I started treats at 10 days old, plain yogurt and chopped hard boiled eggs. Very small amounts. More to give them something to do than anything else. They love to play keepaway with the egg whites.
If you start offering other treats, things that need "grinding" to digest, then you need to also offer grit. Parakeet grit works well for the little ones.

 

[one_egg_at_a_time]

Thanks so much for the advice. I can not wait till they are big birds

 

[cmom]

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

 

[JenMT]

Yikes! I will stay away from the avacados then from now on. I thought that an avacado would be a really healthy treat for them. I'll ask around here from now on.