[Fy-Nyth]

Congrats! Our local stores all have non-medicated chick feed options and that is what I had used when we first got chickens.. But after our very first baby chicks that started the flock, I’ve never purchased that. I give new chicks a little oatmeal softened with warm water and some ground fat scraps for the first 3-5 days, as well as offering the same things as all the adult birds get. Which would be the fermented whole grains and seeds mix we feed the adult birds, fish and other butchering scraps, freeze dried meal worms and black soldier fly larva in the winter when there are no bugs outside, and fresh sprouts. They mostly ignored the oatmeal mix after two days and have been eating adult food ever since.

[PackersRboss]

Most of the recipes are for adult chickens. Baby chicks need high protein levels so find a good brand of starter & transition them over to the adult recipe later. And sourcing ingredients can be an issue. Try Azure. Its a food company that sells alot of organic stuff.

[Summerhat-n-Chicks]

My mother told me that they raised their baby chicks with scrambled egg and stinging nettle chopped up in tiny pieces.

[JerseyGiantChick]

Eggs are the best food and feed, I give boiled eggs extra.

[PackersRboss]

Be aware that there are health risks to a very high protein mix as a very low protein mix. The DIY recipes can be more harmful than helpful.

[Lambsbride]

We grew our chicks on wheat barley peas oats corn boss and flax.

Barley was used when wheat was not available to keep costs down

All ground up with manual grinder for the first 3 weeks

Then ground up barley and corn(the rest whole seeds) bcoz barley and corn are hard and they tend to not eat them

This for the next 3-4 weeks

Then whole grains as the adults around 2 months

Greens worms and scraps after the first week

All grains from azurestandard

[Redcap]

We have, hopefully, three chicks hatching next week. I’ve been looking up chick feed and found these things which I’ll do. First two days Magic Water (2 cloves garlic, crushed, 2 TBSP raw ACV, 1/2 c. honey per gallon of water) and the first 3-4 days a mash of hardboiled egg, finely snipped greens (spinach, nettle, etc), and breadcrumbs (I’m using a hearty whole grain bread). After that, I’ll be making a finely ground feed from a feed recipe I saw: 60% scratch grains, 20% seeds, 10% fish meal, and kelp and flax to 5%, and the rest is “ish” so dried greens will round mine out. I’ll grind it well for them.