What to feed baby chicks plays a critical role in their growth, immune health, and future egg production. Here is a look at some age-appropriate herbs and supplements to help chicks grow into healthy laying hens.

What to Feed Baby Chicks at Each Growth Stage

One of the best ways to boost egg production in laying hens is to ensure proper nutrition for replacement chicks and pullets as they grow. By doing this, baby chicks have everything they need to promote a strong immune system equipped with all the nutrients future egg layers need to produce eggs.

Start Small with Supplements and Treats

What to feed baby chicks to help them grow into healthy laying hens begins with starting small (literally). Not only are baby chicks small, but starting small means introducing healthy supplements and treats slowly over time to help chicks’ bodies grow strong without overtaxing their digestive system. Like adult chickens, baby chicks can become ill when suddenly bombarded with too many new food choices, so it’s best to make the transition slowly over the course of several days.

With so many beneficial supplements and treats available, the choices can be overwhelming, so let’s take a look at some age-appropriate supplements for chicks and pullets.

What to Feed Baby Chicks in Week 1

When considering what to feed baby chicks and pullets to help them grow into productive, healthy laying hens naturally, start with feeding them a well-balanced, age-appropriate feed. (Starter for weeks 0–7. Grower for weeks 8–17. Or a starter/grower combination feed for 0–18 weeks).

During the first week of life, concentrate on supplements that help boost a strong immune system, such as dried oregano (I sprinkle a pinch of dried oregano on top of the feed every time I feed my chicks, and they eat it right alongside the feed).

To boost baby chicks’ immune systems, add some Durvet or Sav-A-Chick probiotics to their water for the first several weeks of life. Ground oats/oatmeal is another excellent supplement that prevents and treats pasty butt, aids in healthier baby chicks, and also helps promote feather growth.

Always offer free-choice chick grit to chicks of all ages when offering supplements and treats to their diet.

What to Feed Baby Chicks from Weeks 2–7

Your baby chicks have made it through their first week of life, and undoubtedly, you have already noticed some changes. The chicks are growing quickly, and new feathers are appearing everywhere as chicks quickly replace their down with tiny feathers.

What to feed baby chicks during this stage of life is critical, as in this life stage chicks are maturing quickly and need good nutrition to keep up with their growing bodies.

When chicks reach the age of two weeks, it’s time to add a protein-rich supplement to their diet. Dried black soldier fly larvae are a good protein choice for baby chicks, as they are rich in protein and essential amino acids and also contain a good balance of calcium and phosphorus to aid in developing strong bones for growing chicks, as well as strong eggshells later in life.

During this stage of life, more culinary herbs should be introduced to growing chicks. Basil and cilantro add essential antioxidants to a chick’s diet and help support a healthy immune system. If left untreated by herbicides and pesticides, dandelions are another wonderful addition to a chick’s diet, as they are a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals and help protect against endoparasites (including coccidia) in chicks and other poultry.

Dandelions and basil also work as natural laying stimulants and are beneficial for pullets at the point of lay and mature laying hens.

What to Feed Growing Pullets (Weeks 8–18)

What to feed baby chicks as they turn into pullets starts with switching out the starter feed for grower. This feed helps slow down the growth of chicks and helps their bodies prepare for the next chapter of their lives. Egg laying.

During this life stage, you may start to notice pullets shedding their baby feathers for their new adult plumage. While this molt is not as hard or drastic on pullets as it is on laying hens, adding some supplements to assist with the molt is a good idea.

Dill, fennel, peppermint, and parsley are all beneficial for molting pullets. These herbs also provide other benefits for growing chickens, including being anticoccidial (fennel and peppermint), prepping pullets for egg laying (fennel and parsley), preventing heat stress (fennel and peppermint), and boosting respiratory health (dill).

When pullets are molting, continue to supplement their diet several times a week with oats and dried black soldier fly larvae to promote strong feather growth.

What to Feed Pullets Near Laying Age (Weeks 18–20)

Your pullets are growing quickly, and one morning you walk out to the coop only to realize the chicks you have been caring for over the last several months are now pullets reaching the point of lay. What to feed baby chicks about to lay their first egg begins with switching out the grower feed for some calcium-rich layer feed. When switching all feed types, make the change to layer feed slowly to avoid making your flock sick. You’ll also want to add supplemental oyster shell along with the layer feed to promote strong egg shells.

Supplements and Herbs for Healthy Chick Growth

As pullets reach the point of lay, consider introducing ground flax seeds or flax seed oil to their feed to help protect against ovarian tumors (a common cause of death and decreased egg production in layers) and to promote a healthy reproductive tract.

Adding supplemental herbs such as dill, fennel, parsley, and red raspberry leaves to your flock’s diet aids in egg production by supporting a healthy reproductive tract.

Last, but not least, laying hens require high amounts of protein, so be sure to supplement your flock’s diet with black soldier fly larvae (never meat or cat food) to help your flock stay healthy and promote egg production.

PRO TIP: Supplements and healthy treats should not exceed ten percent of your flock’s diet at any time in their life.

Key Takeaways: What to Feed Baby Chicks

• Start chicks on a high-protein starter feed (20–22%)
• Introduce supplements slowly to avoid digestive stress
• Provide grit when feeding treats or greens
• Use herbs like oregano, basil, and parsley for immunity
• Transition to grower and layer feed gradually
• Keep treats under 10% of the total diet

What to Feed Baby Chicks FAQ

What should I feed my chicks first?

Chicks should be fed starter feed, a high-protein (20–22 percent protein) crumble, for the first eight weeks of life.

Do I need to feed baby chicks grit?

Yes. Baby chicks need grit to digest their feed, especially if given access to fresh greens, ground oats, etc.

Commercial chick grit is available for purchase, as adult chicken grit is too large for chicks to safely consume. Or you can swap out commercial grit for a dish of coarse dirt from the garden. Avoid feeding dirt from a garden that has been treated with herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizer, as consuming these chemicals can make chicks sick and even kill them.

When do I switch chicks to grower feed?

Chicks should be switched to grower feed at eight weeks of age. With its lower protein levels (15 percent), grower feed is essential to prevent kidney disease in growing chicks. When changing over to grower, be sure to switch feed gradually over the course of a week to prevent digestive upsets.

Do chicks need anything else besides food?

Chicks only need starter feed, water, and chick grit to survive. However, chicks benefit from supplements such as oats, oregano, probiotics, prebiotics, and other nutrients to help them stay healthy.

How much do chicks eat?

The amount of feed a growing chick eats varies due to age, size, and breed. But a good rule of thumb is one pound of feed per chick per week.

Final Thoughts on What to Feed Baby Chicks

Healthy hens lay more eggs, so when considering what to feed baby chicks to help them grow into productive laying hens, consider supplements that will support both a healthy reproductive tract and immune system to help your hens feel and lay their best.

This article was written for Hobby Farms and Chickens magazines. Click here to subscribe.