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How often should I feed baby chicks?

I have 6 baby chicks that I just bought. I put a dog bowl full of chicken feed and they ate it all overnight so I don't want to overfeed them by giving them food today. How much should I feed them daily?

Public Comments

1. I don't really have much experience with chicks but I would guess that you would offer them as much food as they consume when they are very young to keep their strength and growth up.
2. As long as they aren’t meat chicks (Broilers CornishRocks), they should have food at all times. Meat birds can eat themselves to death and are best timed with only 12-14 hrs of food. When the chicks get older you can decide if you want to leave a feeder out all day, or just toss them some food in the morning, and night. (some people may feed them during mid-day as well) Also, make sure you are giving them chick starter, as adult chicken food doesn’t contain the proper nutrients for them. Good luck with your babies, and if you have any questions feel free to contact me via email, Jamie/Rhode Runner
3. step 1 Make sure you're baby chicks are kept warm. For the first week, the temperature should be kept at 90 degrees (F), but drop the temperature by 5 degrees each week until they are 6 weeks old. A baby chick may not eat if the temperature is not correct. Step 2 Get you baby chicks used to water. Newly hatched chicks should have their beaks dipped in their water dish until they become accustomed to it. THis also helps them find their water dish in the cage or pen. Nutritional supplements, either store bought or sweetener like molasses or sugar, should be added to the water. Step 3 Buy a chick feeder, which are available at your local feed store. A chick feeder is a long, thin feeding tray with several cut outs for chicks to feed from. This will work until the chicks are about 6 weeks old. Step 4 Fill your feeder half full to discourage the chicks from scattering the food around, wasting the feed. Step 5 Switch from chick starter crumbles after 3 weeks. A grower diet is more appropriate until the chicks are 10 weeks old. Step 6 Keep the feeder clean. To avoid disease, immediately remove any food or feeder that has feces, dirt or liter in it. Good Luck! www.carewhiz.com