Home » Misc » Baby chick food near me

Baby chick food near me


What to Feed Baby Chickens

Chickens 101 Nutrition Raising Baby Chicks

Kassandra Smith

Senior Editor • Backyard Chicken Coops

Last Updated: 26 June 2020

Like all newborns, baby chicks need special attention. Chicks need egg-cellent nutrition to equip them to travel the journey from chick to fully feathered adult. From down to feathers, from peeps to clucks, from an almost imperceptible nub on the top of their heads to pretty red combs, a chicken undergoes the biggest and most rapid transformation from the day they hatch up until about eight weeks old when they are almost at three quarters of their adult weight. That’s quite egg-straordinary, I know! So, what type of fuel do these amazing critters need for this awe inspiring journey? Let’s stake a “peck” and egg-splore the nutritional needs of baby chicks!

First things first, a baby chick needs access to fresh clean water at all times. Water plays a key role in a baby chick’s overall health and wellbeing by aiding most of its bodily functions. Chicks and mature chickens alike consume approximately double the amount of water as compared to feed and therefore, a lack of it can seriously affect a chick’s health.

For starters, to get a jump-start in life, chicks begin by pecking at Chick Starter! Chick Starter contains all the essential nutrients a chick needs to grow and develop into either an egg-cellent egg layer or a robust cock-a-doodler! Typically, a chick will eat a starter mix up until eight weeks old; however, many commercial brands now sell chick starter as Chick Starter/Grower and it is fed up until Point of Lay in hens or at sixteen to eighteen weeks for the young gentlemen.  A great alternative to commercial chick starter is a wonderful concoction of two staple ingredients; eggs and oatmeal. Simply, hard boil some eggs, mash them up and mix with oatmeal. Although, if you are raising a large number of fuzzy little chicks, feeding commercial starter is a wise choice and is available at most farm supply centers.

As with humans, accurate nutrition in these early stages is essential to ensure your chick's growth. Even the smallest inaccuracies in these early stages could cause them serious health issues and even death. To become confident and learn all there is to know about raising healthy happy chicks into egg-laying hens, visit Chickenpedia. They have a comprehensive course that will give you step-by-step instructions at every step of the way. I highly recommend them to all my readers.

The anatomy of chick starter begins with a most necessary nutrient-protein. Next to water, protein, both plant and animal, is the second most essential nutrient for young chicks. This star body builder stimulates the growth of muscles, tissues and organs-it’s basically what makes your wee ones grow. Feel free to offer your young chicks some small worms plucked after a spring or summer shower-nature’s homemade protein! Carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins and minerals make up the rest of the cast of nutrients needed by your ever growing wee chooks. Rest assured, though, in the fact that commercial chick starter comprises everything a baby chick needs to mature into a lovely hen or dapper rooster.

Whilst I can give you some knowledge you get you started, it's our friends over at Chickenpedia that can give you a fully comprehensive guide to raising baby chickens. They cover everything you need, from food & water to temperature and vaccinations, so you can experience all the triumphs and avoid disasters with these precious little fluffballs.

Now, let’s get down to the nitty gritty matter of offering your baby chicks grit. Do baby chicks or growing young chicks need grit? Basically, if your babies are only eating starter, then they really don’t need added grit. If however, you begin adding supplemental foods such as kitchen scraps and treats, then a little bit o’ grit is necessary to aid digestion. Grit is egg-actly what it sounds like-minute pieces of earth, stone, and sand. If you live in a nice temperate climate, and your babies are out and about much of the time, they will most likely “peck up” sufficient grit to balance out their diet.

Do you give your baby chicks shell grit? Tell us in the comments below, I would love to hear from you. 

An alternative to commercial chick starter, is to simply make your own baby chicken food. Although this choice provides you with the knowledge and peace of mind that your babies are getting egg-actly and only what you put into it, it is a complex process and can be difficult attempting to purchase all the necessary ingredients and then measuring out the egg-act quantities.

There really are no guidelines as to the amount of feed to offer baby chicks. Being the “always hungry” ravenous little critters that they are, it’s just fine to keep their feeders filled and at the ready. They will peck and peck until their little bodies let them know they’ve reached their fill. Then, being the egg-spert little poopers that they are, they’ll poop it right out again. Uh, oh…time to clean the bedding, yet again! Such is the life of a chicken keeper-aren’t you the lucky clucky one! Ha Ha

Oh and… I should also mention, click here to check out Chickenpedia. As a member, you will get access to the Ultimate Chicken Health Course. I highly recommend this to all of my readers because it has everything you didn’t know you needed to know (and lots of free guides). So, don’t wing it. Click here to check out Chickenpedia.

Sources and further reading


Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Types of Food Baby Chicks Can & Cannot Eat

1 December

Chickens are great companions. They provide fresh eggs, nutrients for your lawn and years of entertainment with their big personalities. Best of all, baby chicks are easy to feed, willing to finish almost any of your daily leftovers.

A baby chicks’ diet is extremely versatile, but there are some foods to rethink before throwing them into the coop. Here, we’ll outline the nutrient-dense foods baby chicks love and the leftovers to keep in your compost pile.

Browse Organic Chicken Feed

What Are the Essential Nutrients for Chickens?

Baby chicks require a more nutrient-dense diet than their adult counterparts. When feeding your baby chicks, ensure their feed has the following nutrients:

  • Protein: After hatching, a chick’s diet should include approximately 18% to 20% protein. Protein builds chicks’ muscles, promoting strength and bone integrity during their crucial developmental stages. As baby chicks reach 19 weeks old, gradually taper their protein intake to about 16% of their diet.
  • Vitamins: All poultry require fat- and water-soluble vitamins. Specifically, they require all vitamins except vitamin C, including vitamin A, D, E and K, niacin, folic acid, biotin, thiamine and riboflavin.
  • Minerals: Minerals are equally important. Baby chicks require a diet with calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and copper, among others.
  • Grains: Most chicken feeds incorporate healthy grains, like corn, wheat and soybean meal. These grains act as sources of vitamins, oil and protein, which all poultry require for energy.
  • Fats: Most of a chicken’s fat content comes from oils that contain linoleic acid, an important fatty acid. Fatty acids break down vitamins and minerals, allowing chickens to receive all of their benefits.

Baby chicks’ feed should provide at least 90% of their nutrition, with the remaining 10% from their pasture.

On top of their feed, poultry require a constant source of water. Chickens drink almost three times their weight in water. A good water-to-chicken ratio is one quart per four chickens.

What Can Baby Chickens Eat?

Do you plan on feeding your baby chicks a homemade diet? Consider incorporating these nutrient-rich foods:

1. Worms

Chickens love worms! Worms naturally exist in a chicken’s environment, so it’s in their biological makeup to enjoy worms. Specifically, baby chicks can eat mealworms and red worms. Both are great sources of protein, but avoid feeding your baby chickens too many worms, or it may overwhelm their system.

2. Crickets

As with worms, baby chicks can eat crickets, and they often do in their natural environment. Crickets are high in protein, fat and carbs, making them an ideal snack, in moderation, for baby chicks.

3. Tomatoes

Baby chicks can eat tomatoes, but they can’t eat the plant, leaves or flowers as they contain poisonous solanine. Tomatoes themselves are full of essential vitamin K, folic acid, fiber, potassium and antioxidants. If you have a garden, toss any malformed tomatoes into your coop. Your chickens will be thankful!

4. Oatmeal

Oats are considered a superfood, full of vitamins, minerals and some protein. Baby chicks can eat both raw oats and warm oatmeal every now and then. Adding birdseed and plain yogurt boosts oatmeal’s nutrients, too!

5. Strawberries

Baby chicks can eat fruit, and they especially love strawberries. Strawberries contain many vitamins and minerals, namely iron, copper, magnesium, Vitamin B and potassium. Also, strawberries are packed with other anti-inflammatory antioxidants that keep your baby chicks healthy.

6. Bananas

If you have any brown, spotty bananas, your baby chicks will gladly eat them for you! Baby chicks can eat bananas, but avoid feeding them any unripe bananas. Bananas are high in Vitamin B6 and pyridoxine and a good source of magnesium, copper and healthy carbs.

7. Apples

Baby chicks can eat apples, but you should chop them up and remove any seeds for easier consumption and digestion. Apple sauce is another good apple alternative for chick food. Apples are a good source of carbs and contain fiber, potassium and Vitamin K, too.

8. Lettuce

When it comes to vegetables, baby chicks can eat lettuce, as well as kale, turnip greens and chard. Romaine lettuce is high in phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, vitamin K and folate, supplying your baby chick with almost all of the necessary minerals. Avoid iceberg lettuce, however, as it’s low in nutritional value and may cause diarrhea in your baby chickens.

9. Watermelons

Baby chicks can eat watermelons, but they should never consume watermelon rinds or seeds. Baby chicks may benefit from watermelon on hot summer days as an added source of hydration. Otherwise, it doesn’t offer many nutrients as chick food.

10. Grass

Adult hens typically peck through grass for insects and eat any smaller pieces of grass. Usually, day or week-old chicks won’t show much interest in eating grass. Some owners give their chicks the option, however, because it encourages foraging.

What Can’t Baby Chickens Eat?

Some of your groceries, however, are best left for your compost pile. Foods that baby chickens cannot eat include:

  • Onions
  • Chocolate
  • Avocados
  • Eggplant
  • Peanuts
  • Moldy Bread
  • Rhubarb
  • Pickles

All of these foods contain different toxins that make baby chicks, and all other poultry, feel sick — or even cause death in extreme cases. Most chickens instinctively avoid these toxic foods. If your baby chicks do consume these toxins and you notice illness symptoms, give them plenty of access to electrolytes and extra nutrients. Chickens heal themselves over time in less severe cases.

What Is the Best Food for Baby Chicks?

The best food you can give your baby chicks is organic chicken starter feed. The foods listed above are healthy for chicks — and you’re encouraged to recycle any leftovers — but they may receive too many or too little nutrients.

Organic chicken starter feed is packed with essential nutrients like:

  • Organic carbs, including corn, soybean meal and wheat
  • Organic soybean oil
  • Calcium carbonate
  • Zinc sulfate
  • Copper sulfate
  • Calcium iodate
  • Vitamin D3
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin B12
  • Riboflavin
  • Folic acid

Opting for organic chicken starter feed over non-organic alternatives ensures your baby chicks receive non-medicated and non-GMO nutrients. Natural feeds contain little to no cheap filler products, giving you more nutrients for your money and your chickens a healthier lifestyle.

How Much Should You Feed Baby Chicks?

Baby chickens are good at eating what they need. Ensure your chicks have a constant supply of organic chicken starter feed and refill their supply as needed.

Because baby chicks and adult chickens require different amounts of nutrients, it’s best to separate them until the chicks are at least 2 months old. Plus, older chickens tend to be aggressive with smaller chicks, sometimes bullying them away from food. Keep an eye on every chick and make sure they’re all getting an equal share of chick food.

Shop Organic Chicken Starter Feed at Nature’s Best Organic Feeds

Kreamer Feed believed in organic food well before the grocery chains. Since 1998, we have been the leading certified organic feed manufacturer — best known for our brand, Nature’s Best Organic Feeds.

If you’re looking for the best feed for your baby chicks, choose our high-protein organic chick starter. Our chicken feed is packed with essential nutrients, perfect for your growing backyard animals and baby chicks.

Learn more about our organic chicken starter feed online. You can find our products at your nearest Tractor Supply Co., which you can locate directly on our product page!

Find Our FeedContact Us Today

How to feed chickens from the first days of life at home

Properly raising young chickens is not as easy as it seems at first glance. The owner of the livestock may face certain problems, and this depends on how the chicks were hatched, naturally or artificially.

Feeding is an important part of raising chickens. Food should be such that individuals can get the necessary vitamins and minerals from it, which will ensure growth and weight gain. nine0003

See the table below for the types of feed and daily allowances.

The necessary feed per day for chickens of different ages

Name of feed Age group on the day
1-3 4-10 31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-3AP 41-50 51-60
Boiled eggs 2 2 No0003
  • grain;
  • green mass;
  • dairy products;
  • vitamins.

For the first time, it is best to give the chicks chopped hard-boiled eggs, or replace it with special egg feed, but this option is more expensive. A small amount of semolina is added to the chopped egg so that the food does not turn out sticky.

Gradually introduce fresh kefir into the diet to regulate digestion and form beneficial microflora in the intestines. nine0003

Note to the poultry breeder! In some cases, chicks may have a problem drinking water, and therefore a small pipette or syringe is used for drinking.

No less useful food is corn grits, it is sold in crushed form, which is a very convenient option when feeding chickens. Thanks to useful substances, cereals have a beneficial effect on the development of chicks.

From the age of one day, food should become more varied. Millet, wheat groats, chopped oatmeal are mixed with an egg. nine0003

At this stage, the livestock is fed once every 2 hours, but in small quantities. An excess of food leads to the fact that the bird begins to scatter it. As for cereals, it should go in a mixed form, otherwise the chickens begin to choose the most delicious pieces and will not receive important trace elements.

For chicks, it is not necessary to boil or steam porridge, it is fed dry. After a few days, the cereal already ceases to saturate the chickens, and therefore the diet needs to be reviewed. You can start complementary foods with low-fat cottage cheese. It contains calcium and nitrogenous substances necessary for the growth and development of a growing organism. It is recommended to give curd mash in combination with cereals in the morning. nine0003

Any dairy product is extremely beneficial for chickens. After a few days, you can put containers next to the drinkers, with fresh whey or yogurt. Young growth with great desire will use the above supplements.

Need to know. Fresh milk is contraindicated for birds, it causes indigestion and sticking of fluff.

From the third day they begin to give (depending on the season) cut green fodder:

  • nettle leaves;
  • plantain;
  • dandelions;
  • clover;
  • starfish.

Starting from the fifth day, it is recommended to include green onion feathers in the feed.

What kind of food do week-old chicks need? This includes wheat, barley, corn and oatmeal. Dairy products and green grass are used as additional nutrition. The frequency of feeding also decreases due to the increase in portions. Approximately give food 4-5 times a day. nine0003

From the tenth day boiled fish is added to the diet (no need for salt), grated carrots on a medium-sized grater (raw), a small amount of boiled potatoes.

If you look at the following table, you can see how the amount of feed per head per day will change as the bird matures.

Feed per day by age

00 9000 9000) birds begin to add new ingredients to the feed as they age. It is worth knowing that when introducing any innovation, it must be done carefully and start with a small amount.

A sample ration would look like this:

  • corn and barley grain - 15 grams;
  • dairy products - 15 grams;
  • cake and meal - 2 grams;
  • raw carrot - 5 grams;
  • green mass - 5 grams;
  • boiled potatoes - 5 grams;
  • mineral supplement - 1 gram;
  • vitamins according to instructions.

Feeding characteristics of one month old chicks

From the age of 30 days, chicks can already go outside under proper weather conditions, which means that they will be able to get some part of their food on their own. However, pasture will not be enough for them, and therefore the presence of grain that has undergone coarse grinding is mandatory in the diet, from the age of one and a half months it can be replaced with whole grain. nine0003

Additional components are vegetable crops and their waste, fermented milk products, various cereals. You can start making a mash in lean meat broth, and also give lean meat. Separately, containers for gravel, shell rock and eggshells are installed in the room. All these components should always be in both chickens and adult birds. Some farmers provide shells directly with feed.

When the weather is hot, it is necessary to monitor the quality of wet mash, which tends to deteriorate during the daytime. Sour food causes serious disorders of the digestive system. nine0003

Earthworms are a separate category of food, it is deliberately not recommended to give them due to the presence of helminths. Internal parasites often lead to the death of young animals on farms.

Feeding broiler chicks

In the early stages of life, meat-oriented chicks receive the same feed as everyone else. But from the second week of life, significant changes appear in the diet. For better weight gain, meat broth-based stirrers are used. Particular attention is paid to the freshness of such food, if sour feed gets into the bird's stomach, then indigestion may begin. A good preventive measure is a solution of potassium permanganate as a drink for chickens. nine0003

Most poultry breeders fatten on wet mashes by accustoming their livestock to such food very carefully and in stages. From a week of age, mashed fresh carrots or pumpkins are added to the diet, from the 21st day you can start giving boiled potatoes.

A special place in the feeding of broilers is occupied by green mass, which is added in cut form to the mash until the bird starts to go for a walk. If there is grass on the site, you can no longer add greenery separately. Good gains are obtained when distributing dairy products:

  • low-fat cottage cheese;
  • curdled milk;
  • serum;
  • skimmed milk.

An additional source of nutrition is starter feed, which is given to chickens up to the age of 30 days. Then you can transfer the livestock to natural food or switch to finishing feed. The first option leads to obtaining meat products with excellent taste, the second option gives less trouble to the owner in preparing feed, but is more expensive. nine0003

Speaking of natural food, this includes crushed grains of different varieties. In order for the bird to receive the necessary trace elements and vitamins, it is recommended to give not a separate type of cereal crops, but mixtures to which meat broth or whey is added.

From the age of 30 days, whole grains can be used for feeding, rather than crushed ones. In winter, it is recommended to germinate them for greater nutritional value.

In order to save money, each owner can easily prepare compound feed on his own farm. The main thing is to know what ingredients are needed and their quantity. A sample broiler feed recipe might look like this:

  • wheat - 25%;
  • barley 25%;
  • peas - 10%;
  • corn - 20%;
  • soybeans - 20%
  • sunflower meal - 5%.

It is important not to forget that birds need mineral and vitamin complexes. The first are represented by chalk, shell rock, gravel, fishmeal. Some of the components can be given in separate containers, and flour and chalk are best kneaded in a wet mixer.

Broilers should be fed both grain and wet food. The owner is advised to work out his own feeding schedule so that the bird receives food at the same time every day. For example, the following order can be given:

  • first feeding at 7 am. Give compound feed;
  • second feeding - 11 hours. A series of wet mash;
  • third feeding - 15 hours. Distribution of grain mixtures;
  • fourth feeding - 18 hours. Repeated giving of a wet mash;
  • fifth feeding - 23 hours. Grain mixtures.

What does the diet of laying hens consist of

Just as in the case of broilers, in the early stages, the feeding of laying hens will not differ much from the feeding of other birds of the chicken family. From the 14th day, compound feed is introduced, labeled with a certain age. In the future, food is selected precisely taking into account this moment. For example, the name of the compound feed and the numbers 15-18 months can be affixed to the bag, from which it immediately becomes clear which group such food is suitable for. nine0003

No matter how old the flock is, the diet must be balanced and of good quality. It is especially dangerous for laying hens to receive less feed or overeat. Wasting, like obesity, leads to a significant decrease in the amount of egg production. You also need to remember that young animals will consume nutrients in greater quantities than older chickens.

In the following table, you can see the approximate ration of a laying hen

Daily feed requirement for egg hens 95

Age group in days Per day per bird (grams)
7 10-20
14 20-40
21 40-60
60-80 9000 9017
Green mass, vegetables 55 20
grass, hay are not given 5

The principle of forage of drunks is almost the same as and in the Brailov. In the morning they give out a mash, and in the evening whole grains. The frequency of feeding is most often two times a day.

Feeding and watering of chickens in the first days of life (broilers and laying hens): video The young growth will grow up strong and strong, which will allow in the future to receive egg or meat products from birds.

nine0003

How to care for chickens in the first days of life: conditions and feeding regimen

01/29/2022