when can we start feeding chicks scraps

[dubenjs1]

I have six chicks right about ten weeks old, when is a good time to start giving them some scraps. What is safe for them to eat scrap wise and won't hurt there growth or anything else.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I don't like to feed anything but starter/grower feed for the first 5 weeks. It's just an insurance they get all the nutrients they need for a good start. I limit scraps until they are eating a significant amount each day so really just treats and not cleaning out the fridge of everything passing date on them until 10-12 weeks.

To some extent when feeding scraps I think of nutritional value but that depends mainly on amount you are feeding and how large a percentage of weekly intake it will be. Some say daily but if it's a day of mostly greens and then feed the next few days I don't worry at all so think in terms of weekly dietary intake. It's these factors that if not really accounted for that scraps are recommended to be limited to 10% of total daily intake. Again, I think weekly and believe a mass of old chili or lasagna is well balanced diet so don't think on 10% daily terms.

Chickens can eat just about anything. The only big thing to note would be green potato skins. The key to scraps is to provide grit so they can break it down and digest it better. If they are on dirt then they'll find grit (small stone) to fill their crop and grind down food. Pre winter I partially fill a bucket with large sand pebbles and small stone from the driveway and dole it out on the frozen ground a handful every two to three weeks.

 

[dubenjs1]

Thank you very much, they are at there 10 week mark and my wife asked me yesterday if we could feed them our lunch meat we had in the fridge that just past experation , I said I was not sure.

 

[pdirt]

The main things to watch out for with scraps are:

* high salt content
* low protein


Chickens can't process salt nearly as well as humans and pigs can. Don't feed them the lunch meat, or at least feed them very very tiny bits at any one time. Don't just toss them the whole package. Things lIke Chili or lasagna, while they would be decent chicken scraps, are probably very highly salted, especially the lasagna with all that salty cheese.

Most kitchen scraps, not counting your lunch meat, is low protein. If it doesn't have a lot of protein, don't feed them too much of it. You want 90% or more of their nutrition coming from chicken feed in any case.

 

[dubenjs1]

am glad I asked this question on here before I fed them the lunch meat, thank you very much.

 

[brideofchaos]

The only thing mine get at a younger age (current flock of 90 birds ranges from 2 weeks until 8 weeks) is melon. They LOVE watermelon, cantaloupe, any melon. It does give them runny poops for a few hours but it's worth the sheer joy they have with it. They see me coming with a plate of cut melon pieces and they are completely in love with me. lol

 

[dubenjs1]

I am going to try some melon, thank you.

 

[dubenjs1]

So I smoked a brisket today and gave my babies (10)+ weeks some of the non seasoned meat inside, they went crazy and I only gave them a small piece, wow.