
Choosing the right feed for your chickens is essential for ensuring their health. Firstly, you need to consider the age of your chickens and what chicken food is appropriate for their life stage:
Chick Starter Feed / Chick Crumb:
This should be given from day one up to around 6-8 weeks of age. It is high in protein (18-20%) to support rapid growth. Chick crumb is as it sounds, a crumble like texture to make it easy for small beaks to peck. At this stage, typical pellets would be too large for them to consume. If your chicks are just eating chick crumb they will not need any grit at this stage as the feed is easy to digest.
Grower Feed:
After the initial 6-8 weeks, you can transition to grower feed, which has slightly less protein (around 15-18%) but is still balanced for growing birds. This is usually fed until they are about 18 weeks old. Growers pellets tend to be slightly smaller than typical layers pellets. When your growers start foraging this is the time to introduce grit to help them break down grasses, seeds and herbage etc. It is important to offer only insoluble grit, sometimes called ‘chick grit’ as it is in small granules to suit their size. At this age they should not have mixed grit products as they do not need the extra calcium from oyster shell, and too much calcium could actually harm them.
Layer Feed:
Once the chicks reach around 18-20 weeks of age and are close to laying age, you can transition them to layer feed. Layers feed has higher levels of minerals, including calcium for egg laying, and slightly less protein – usually 16 – 18%. Layers feed can be in the form of pellets, crumb or mash and the choice is your personal preference. Pellets tend to be less messy to feed, with less waste. From 18 – 24 weeks your hens will be ‘point of lay’ and at this stage they will benefit from a mixed grit product such as Gastro Grit. Gastro Grit provides insoluble grit to aid digestion, along with oyster shells for calcium. There are also lots of other ingredients included to support the health of laying hens.
Providing the right feed at each stage of development is crucial for the health and well-being of your chickens. As your chicks transition from one stage to the next, make changes to to their diet gradually. As you move from chick crumb to growers pellets for example, allow about a week to gradually mix in the growers pellets to the chick crumb so they can adjust to their new feed.
Always ensure they have access to fresh water and feed appropriate for their age.

Chicks should not be fed layers pellets because these pellets are formulated specifically for laying hens and contain high levels of calcium, which can be harmful to young chicks. Instead, chicks require a specially formulated chick starter feed that has the appropriate balance of nutrients necessary for their growth and development.
Key reasons why chicks should not eat layer pellets:
- Calcium Levels: Layers pellets have high calcium levels to support eggshell production in laying hens. Excessive calcium can cause kidney damage and other health issues in chicks.
- Protein Content: Chicks need a higher protein content for growth compared to what is found in layers pellets. Chick starter feed (Chick Crumb) typically contains around 18-20% protein, while layer pellets usually have around 16-18%.
- Nutritional Balance: Chick starter feed is specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of growing chicks, providing the right balance of vitamins and minerals.
Recommended Feed Types for Chicks:
- Chick Starter Feed / Chick Crumb: This should be given from day one up to around 6-8 weeks of age. It is high in protein (18-20%) to support rapid growth.
- Grower Feed: After the initial 6-8 weeks, you can transition to grower feed, which has slightly less protein (around 15-18%) but is still balanced for growing birds. This is usually fed until they are about 18 weeks old.
- Layers Feed: Once the chicks reach around 18-20 weeks of age and are close to laying age, you can transition them to layers pellets or mash.
Providing the right feed at each stage of development is crucial for the health and well-being of your chickens. Always ensure they have access to fresh water and feed appropriate for their age.

#NationalLoveYourPetDay 20th February 2024
We believe that chickens make great pets, and really bring your garden to life. Here are 4 reasons why you should keep chickens…
They are low maintenance – compared to other pets, chickens are easy to care for and not as demanding as other pets. They need a coop and run with protection from predators so they can be safe during the day and night. These, combined with good food, fresh water and some basic enrichment like perches and a dust bath, and they will be quite happy even when you can’t be at home all day. You can even get automatic door openers so you don’t even have to get up early at the weekend to let them out!
Companionship – Chickens are more social than you may expect and they learn very quickly to recognise your face and voice. Teaching them to associate your call with the arrival of tasty treats is a great way to bond with them. Just spending time with chickens is naturally calming and a great way to de-stress at the end of the day.
Chickens are individuals – just like other animals, chickens have their own individual characters. There will always be a bossy hen at the top of the pecking order and some that are more confident and friendly than others. Learning about the individual personalities in your flock makes them fun to be around.
Eggs – it goes without saying that having your own sustainable source of fresh eggs is a huge benefit to keeping chickens. If you have children it is a great way to teach them where their food comes from, and how caring for an animal gives its rewards. Everyone knows that happy chickens lay tastier eggs!
Chicken Maths is real! – Everyone will tell you that chickens are addictive! You might start with 3, but soon it will be 5…and maybe room for a few more little ones?!..Always choose a larger run and coop than you think you need. The more space they have the better, and if you do decide to add a couple more you can do so.
As with all animals it is important to understand their basic health needs and the equipment required to look after them properly. For more information check out the Poultry Pack created by 12 British chicken-loving companies.