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What is the ideal first food for my newly hatched baby chicks?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Hai, I made my hen for brooding,what is the first food for the chicks???

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 19th, 2017

If your hen is free ranging, ie, can walk and eat wherever she likes, then she will teach her chicks to eat insects and seeds and grit and you will not need to add anything. If your chicken is in a coop and cannot take her chicks out to forage, then you need to buy either commercial baby chick starter food or feed them insects and worms and chopped greens. You can also feed them chopped boiled eggs. You can also mix finely chopped hard-boiled eggs with oatmeal ground lentils, ground maize, flax, millet. You can add worms and other insects. They will always need fresh water available.

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