When can you feed chicks veggies and fruit??

[Bee and me]

I gave my chicks nothing but chick starter and water for 8 weeks. Then scratch grains as a treat after 8 weeks. Chick starter is a complete formula that includes what they need to grow up healthy. Adding anything else dilutes the nutritional value. If you decide to give them treats it shouldn't be more than 10%. My five, 10 month old Golden Comets started to lay between 17 1/2 and 19 weeks and have never been wormed or needed antibiotics and I get 32 to 35 eggs a week. GC

thank you. I will use the 10% rule.
I doubt they eat more than that.
I have to say they really go through medicated chick feed.

 

[peeper89]

mine like cucumber

 

[GC-Raptor]

thank you. I will use the 10% rule.
I doubt they eat more than that.
I have to say they really go through medicated chick feed.

Yes, half the chick feed ends up in the pine shavings. I switched to pellets at sixteen weeks by mixing crumbles 50/50 and tossing pellets on dry ground for a couple of weeks. Now my girls don't waste any feed. I have a 12# galvanized feeder hanging in the coop

and if a pellet falls onto the floor they quickly gobble it up. GC

 

[Bee and me]

Yes, half the chick feed ends up in the pine shavings. I switched to pellets at sixteen weeks by mixing crumbles 50/50 and tossing pellets on dry ground for a couple of weeks. Now my girls don't waste any feed. I have a 12# galvanized feeder hanging in the coop

and if a pellet falls onto the floor they quickly gobble it up. GC

oooh, I like your feeder. Are the pellets from a pet store? Like Alpine Pine for cats?

 

[GC-Raptor]

oooh, I like your feeder. Are the pellets from a pet store? Like Alpine Pine for cats?

No not bedding material. Chicken feed, as in layers pellets. Sorry I wasn't clear on that.
I switched from starter crumble feed to layers pellet feed by mixing half of each at sixteen weeks in the galvanized feeder and then added just the layers pellets to the feeder as needed. I also scattered the layers pellets on dry ground mixed with scratch grains to help them adjust to the pellets which are less wasteful than crumbles. Sometimes chickens won't eat a new type or shape of feed if you abruptly change. GC

 

[Bee and me]

Ahhh...I get it.
Thanks,
B

 

[April Hen]

Oh yeah! I'm not a newbie lol. I know how to raise chicks. I had just never heard of anyone feeding chickens fruits, veggies, and scraps (no meat) until I started looking up here. I had always just let them eat the natural things (grass, bugs, etc.) and their laying pellets, oyster shells, and corn. I had never thought of them eating lettuce, bananas, and such. I just recently started adding these to my grown chickens' diet and wasn't sure if there was age to start this.

they love grass seed. I let them loose and they peck a lot of grass.

 

[April Hen]

mine like cucumber

Yes and they get a lot of water with that.

 

[tlcmurphy]

This is a very old thread, you’re unlikely to get a response.