Can You Overfeed Baby Chicks?

By Backyard Homestead HQ

As a first-time chick care provider, you may be concerned about how much to feed your chicks and how much may be too much food for them.

But how often should you feed chicks?

You need to ensure that the chicks have a constant food supply for the first 3 weeks of their lives.

Put broiler chickens on a feeding schedule after 3 weeks.

Put cornish broilers on a 12-hr feeding schedule with access to food.

Fruits, such as watermelon and banana

Vegetables like pumpkin, broccoli, and leafy green

Black oil sunflower seed

Oatmeal

Feed your chicks a good quality starter feed and if you do want to give your chicks a treat,  here are a few things you can consider giving them:

Check out these few examples of what food you should avoid giving your chicks:

There are lots of foods that chicks can eat. However, there are plenty out there that they should not eat either.

Nightshade family plants such as Potato Plants, Eggplant Leaves, Tomato plants, Rhubarb leaves

They’re fine for humans but can be poisonous for chickens or chicks. 

01

Arrow

Avocadoes

They contain a toxin that is deadly to chicks, cats, dogs, and cattle.

02

Uncooked beans

These contain hemagglutinin, which is toxic, and no bueno for chicks. You can give your chicks cooked beans, though.

03

Holly

If your chicks eat this, it can cause diarrhea and vomiting.

 04

Lupines

These can cause nervous system problems in your chicks.

 05

Foxglove

06

This contains a cardiac drug called digitalis, which can make the heart slow down.

Periwinkle

07

This can cause nervous system problems and even death.