Not all beginner poultry farmers know how to feed chickens in the early days of life. So, regardless of whether you have broiler babies or egg chickens, from the first moments of life, their diet should have hard-boiled eggs, crushed wheat, corn grits, millet, oatmeal and even cottage cheese. It should be borne in mind that cereals in the total amount of food should occupy about 60%. This is exactly the food that is suitable on the first and second days of their life.
Remembering how to feed the hatched chickens, and giving them food from the first hours, you can start the mechanism of the final formation of all internal organs. Do not forget that babies need to drink. To lure the crumbs to the drinker, you can throw 1-2 teas into it - this will attract chickens. Chicks will want to peck them, which will help them learn how to drink.
But it is important not only to find out how to feed the chickens in the first days of life, but also to know what to do with them later. So, on the third day, the stomach of the crumbs is already ripe for fresh greens. For them, you can pick plantain, dandelion, chamomile, clover, dill, nettle. But from the fifth day of life, chickens are ready to eat green onions and garlic, which are excellent prevention of various gastrointestinal diseases in birds. But do not forget that they can cause thirst, so giving them is in the morning.
In addition, a variety of vegetables, berries and fruits can already be included in the diet, the main thing is to chop them. If you do not know what to feed the chickens in the first days of life, then remember that in addition to cereals they can be given carrots, cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, currants, strawberries, gooseberries. The main thing is that the plants should not be damaged by rot. From 10 days in the main feed, you can add boiled potatoes and no more than 2 times a week - boiled fish.
If you have not yet fully figured out what to feed the chickens in the first days of life, then do not rush to get feed. Manufacturers often include rye in its composition, which can have a toxic effect on the organisms of immature crumbs, lead to nervous disorders and even death of a young bird. This cereal plant swells quickly enough in the stomach and contributes to the onset of fermentation. And this is the cause of digestive disorders. Until two months of age, it is better to do without these cereals.
Experts like to give recommendations regarding not only the diet, they can also tell how many times to feed the chickens. So, the established norm is a schedule in which food is given to babies every 2 hours. But many farmers do not block access to food throughout the day. Just keep in mind, dry food can be consumed constantly, it does not deteriorate, but it is better not to leave various mixes with boiled vegetables, fish for more than 1 hour. They can turn sour and lead to digestive problems.
By the way, from seven days old it will be nice if you install a special feeder in which there will be coarse sand, ground shells or fine gravel (the diameter of the fractions should not exceed 2 mm). Such additives contribute to better grinding of the feed, digestion of food, saturation of the body with calcium calcium.