What to Feed Baby Chicks: Complete Week-by-Week Guide

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Feed is the foundation of chick health. Getting nutrition right from day one supports immune development, proper bone and organ growth, feather development, and future laying performance. Getting it wrong — especially in the first two weeks — can cause health problems that affect chicks for life.

This guide covers starter versus grower feed, the medicated versus non-medicated debate, a week-by-week feeding breakdown, when to introduce treats, the critical role of grit, and a detailed list of foods that can harm or kill your chicks.

Chick Starter Feed: The Foundation

Chick starter is a nutritionally complete crumble or mash formulated specifically for the needs of young, rapidly growing birds. Unlike adult layer feed, starter feed contains higher protein levels (typically 18-22%) to support the explosive growth rate of young chicks and lower calcium levels, since excess calcium can damage developing kidneys and organs.

Chick starter should be the primary and near-exclusive food source for chicks from day one through week eight. It is designed to be complete — your chicks do not need anything else added to their diet to thrive, and additions can actually create imbalances that cause problems.

A reliable chick starter available at most farm stores provides everything young chicks need. Look for brands that list a named protein source (not just “grain products”) in the first few ingredients.

Medicated vs. Non-Medicated Starter Feed

This is one of the most common questions for new chick keepers, and the answer depends on one thing: whether your chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis.

What Is Coccidiosis?

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease caused by Eimeria protozoa that live in the intestinal tract. Young chicks have no natural immunity to coccidiosis and are highly susceptible. Severe infections cause bloody diarrhea, lethargy, and death. It is one of the leading killers of young chicks.

Medicated Starter

Medicated chick starter contains amprolium, a thiamine blocker that inhibits the growth of coccidia in the intestine. It does not eliminate coccidia — it slows their reproduction enough that the chick’s immune system has time to develop its own immunity through controlled, low-level exposure. Medicated starter is appropriate for chicks that were NOT vaccinated for coccidiosis.

Non-Medicated Starter

Non-medicated starter is appropriate for chicks that WERE vaccinated for coccidiosis at the hatchery. Feeding medicated starter to vaccinated chicks can interfere with the vaccine, since amprolium works by blocking the same pathway the vaccine uses to stimulate immunity. If your chicks came from a hatchery that vaccinated for coccidiosis (most do if you ask — check your order confirmation), use non-medicated starter.

If you are not sure whether your chicks were vaccinated, call the hatchery or ask at the feed store where you purchased them. When in doubt, most keepers in areas with high coccidia pressure default to medicated starter for non-vaccinated chicks.

Week-by-Week Feeding Guide

Day 1-3: Getting Started

Day-old chicks have absorbed their yolk sac in the final hours before hatching and can survive without food for up to 72 hours — this is why shipped chicks can survive two to three days in transit. However, provide chick starter and clean water as soon as chicks arrive or hatch.

For the first 24-48 hours, some keepers dip each chick’s beak gently into the water to help them locate the waterer. Chicks learn quickly by watching each other, so once a few have found the water, the rest usually follow.

Keep starter in front of chicks at all times. They will eat frequently in small amounts. Do not ration starter — free-choice feeding is appropriate for this age.

Week 1-2: Starter Feed Only

Continue free-choice starter crumble. No treats, supplements, or other foods are needed or recommended during this period. Chicks are growing rapidly and their entire digestive system is calibrating to the starter feed.

Change water daily or more often if it becomes soiled. Chicks scratching bedding into their waterer is common — elevate the waterer slightly on a small block to reduce this.

Week 2-4: Continue Starter, Introduce Grit if Offering Any Treats

By week two, chicks are more active and curious. You may begin offering very small amounts of age-appropriate treats — see the treat section below. If you offer any food that is not commercial starter crumble, you must provide chick grit. Chick grit is finely crushed granite that sits in the gizzard and grinds food that cannot be digested by enzymes alone.

Chick grit is available at feed stores and from online retailers. Sprinkle a small amount on top of their starter, or provide it in a small dish free-choice. Do not offer oyster shell to chicks — it is too high in calcium for developing kidneys.

Week 4-8: Continue Starter, More Treat Variety

Continue starter feed as the primary diet. Treats can be offered more regularly but should never exceed 10% of total diet by volume. Overfeeding treats dilutes the nutritional completeness of the starter feed and can cause imbalances.

By week four, chicks are well-established eaters and can handle a wider range of treats. Continue providing grit with any non-starter food.

Week 8-16: Transition to Grower Feed

At approximately eight weeks, chicks should transition from starter to grower feed. Grower feed has a slightly lower protein content (typically 16-18%) and is formulated for the growth phase between chick and laying adult. Like starter, grower feed should be nutritionally complete and fed free-choice.

At sixteen to eighteen weeks (or when you see the first egg), transition to layer feed, which has higher calcium to support eggshell production. Do not feed layer feed before hens begin laying — the excess calcium is harmful to developing kidneys.

First Treats: What Is Safe for Young Chicks

Treats are a wonderful way to tame chicks and make them comfortable with human interaction. Introduce them starting at about two weeks of age, after chicks are reliably eating their starter. Always provide grit alongside treats.

Age-appropriate early treats include:

• Scrambled or hard-boiled egg (yes, feeding eggs to chicks is fine — it is an excellent protein source)
• Plain yogurt (a natural probiotic; offer small amounts)
• Mealworms (dried or live; a favorite of chicks of all ages)
• Finely chopped greens (spinach, lettuce, kale in tiny pieces)
• Small pieces of ripe fruit (berries, banana, melon)
• Chick-sized pieces of cooked vegetables

Foods to Never Feed Baby Chicks

Some foods are dangerous or toxic to chicks and must be avoided entirely:

• Avocado (flesh, skin, and pit contain persin, which is toxic to chickens)
• Chocolate and cocoa (theobromine is toxic to birds)
• Raw dried beans (contain hemagglutinin; must be cooked before feeding)
• Onion and garlic in large amounts (small amounts from kitchen scraps are generally fine, but do not offer as primary treats)
• Green tomatoes and tomato leaves (solanine toxicity)
• Rhubarb leaves (oxalic acid toxicity)
• Alcohol
• Salty foods (chicks are much more sensitive to salt than humans)
• Moldy or spoiled food of any kind
• Citrus fruits in large quantities (can interfere with calcium absorption)
• Oyster shell (too much calcium for developing kidneys)

Water: The Overlooked Essential

Clean water is as important as feed, and is often neglected by new keepers focused on feed quality. Chicks that do not drink enough water eat less, grow more slowly, and are more susceptible to disease.

Provide fresh water at all times. Change it at least once daily — more often if it becomes contaminated with bedding or manure. In hot weather, chicks may need water refreshed multiple times per day. Water that is slightly warm (not cold) is preferred by very young chicks.

For the first five to seven days after arrival or hatching, adding a poultry electrolyte and vitamin supplement to the water helps chicks recover from the stress of transit or hatching. After the first week, plain clean water is appropriate.

How Much Should Chicks Eat?

Chicks should have access to starter feed at all times. Unlike many animals, chicks do not overeat — they regulate their intake naturally. Do not ration starter feed. A brooder full of young chicks may consume surprising amounts very quickly; check feeders multiple times daily and refill as needed.

As a rough guide, a single chick consumes approximately one pound of starter feed in its first eight weeks of life. For ten chicks, expect to use roughly ten pounds of starter, though actual consumption varies by breed and brooder conditions.

Feeding Supplements: Probiotics, Vitamins, and Electrolytes

For healthy chicks on a quality commercial starter, additional supplements are not necessary. However, certain situations call for supplementation:

• Shipped chicks: Electrolytes and vitamins for the first five to seven days to support recovery from transit stress.
• Sick or weak chicks: Probiotics and electrolytes can support recovery.
• Very hot weather: Electrolytes help prevent heat stress.
• After medication: Probiotics help restore gut flora after antibiotic treatment.

For a complete guide to brooder setup, see Brooder for Baby Chicks: Complete Setup Guide. For information on transitioning chicks outdoors, visit When to Move Chicks Outside. Our general guide on Raising Baby Chicks covers the full picture from hatch to flock.

FAQ: What to Feed Baby Chicks

Can I feed baby chicks adult layer feed?

No. Layer feed is too high in calcium for young chicks and too low in the protein levels they need for proper growth. Feeding layer feed to chicks can cause kidney damage. Always use chick starter for the first eight weeks.

Why are my chicks not eating?

Chicks that refuse to eat are often too cold (brooder temperature is too low), too hot, stressed from shipping, or sick. Check brooder temperature first. Dip beaks gently in water and starter to stimulate interest. If chicks are consistently refusing food after 24 hours and appear lethargic, consult a poultry vet.

Can I mix medicated and non-medicated starter?

You can mix them during a transition, but it is better to use one or the other consistently. If your chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis, use non-medicated starter throughout the starter phase.

When can chicks eat mealworms?

Dried mealworms can be introduced as a treat starting around week two, in small amounts. Chicks love them and they are an excellent high-protein treat. Always provide grit when feeding mealworms or any other non-starter food.

Do baby chicks need gravel or grit?

Chicks eating only commercial starter crumble do not technically need grit — starter crumble is soft enough to digest without grinding. However, as soon as you offer any other food (treats, scratch, greens), grit becomes necessary. It is good practice to provide chick grit whenever chicks are eating treats.

Can chicks eat grass?

Yes, small amounts of fresh grass clippings or a piece of sod are a great enrichment treat for chicks two weeks and older. Grass provides beneficial microbes, green nutrition, and satisfies natural foraging instincts. Provide grit whenever chicks eat grass.

How do I transition from starter to grower feed?

Mix starter and grower feed in gradually shifting ratios over about a week: start with 75% starter / 25% grower, then 50/50, then 25% starter / 75% grower, then full grower. This gradual transition reduces digestive upset and allows chicks to adjust to the new feed.

Are organic chick starter feeds worth the extra cost?

Organic starter feeds use non-GMO, organically grown grains and contain no synthetic additives. They are a good choice if organic poultry production is important to you, but standard commercial starter feeds from reputable brands are nutritionally excellent and produce healthy chicks. The most important factors are freshness and appropriate protein levels, not organic certification.

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