Last Updated: 02/10/2025
Feeding Chickens at Every Age: A Vet's Guide
Read our vet guide to give your Chickens the right nutrition throughout their lives.
Author: Dr Nicole Wynne BSc BVMS MANZCVS (Unusual Pets)
Reading Time: 5 minutes - short read
Proper nutrition is essential throughout a chicken's life to help them grow into happy, healthy birds. A young chick's dietary needs are very different from a laying hen's, so it's important to feed the right food at the right time.
What to feed baby chicks (hatching to 8 weeks)
This is a critical period where most of a chicken's growth and development occurs. With their immune systems and organs still developing, chicks are very susceptible to illness.
- Provide warmth: Chicks cannot regulate their own body temperature until they grow their adult feathers (fledge). They need a constant external heat source, like a heat lamp.
- Easy access to food and water: Keep their food and water dispensers close to the heat source so they don't have to travel far.
- Feed a chick starter: Use a high-protein, calorie-dense chick starter formula. These come in small pellets or crumbles that are easy for tiny beaks to eat.
- Constant availability: Chick starter feed and fresh, clean water should be available to them 24/7.
- Consider medicated feed: Many chick starters contain a coccidiostat. This is a medication that helps prevent coccidiosis, a common and often fatal intestinal parasite in young chicks. For this reason, starter feed should only be fed to young chickens.
- If using unmedicated feed: You must maintain excellent hygiene and biosecurity to reduce the risk of illness.
Feeding your growing chickens (8 to 20 weeks)
Once chicks start growing their adult feathers, they become much more robust. They are still growing, however, and their bodies are preparing for the huge task of laying eggs. Good nutrition at this stage is vital for their future health.
- Switch to a grower feed: This feed has slightly less protein than starter feed but contains more calcium.
- Build strong bones: Calcium is crucial for developing a strong skeletal system. A hen's bones act as a calcium reservoir for future eggshell production.
- Introduce new foods: This is the perfect time to gradually introduce a variety of healthy treats.
- Safe treats include: Leafy greens, corn, capsicum, carrot, pumpkin, and fruits like apples, pears, bananas, and stonefruit.
- Foods to avoid: Onions, garlic, leeks, chives, and avocado are toxic to birds. Avoid raw potato and sweet potato, as they are difficult to digest.
Best diet for egg-laying hens
Mature laying hens are now fully grown with developed immune systems. Their diet is focused on maintaining their own health while producing a steady supply of eggs.
- Feed a layer formula: These feeds are specifically balanced with moderate protein and high calcium to support healthy egg production without depleting the hen's own reserves.
- Encourage variety: While layer pellets should be the main part of their diet, variety is key. We recommend that at least 30% of their diet consists of foraged food, insects, fresh fruit and vegetables, and whole grains.
- Use supplements with care: A hen on a high-quality, varied diet should not require extra supplements. Be mindful that some supplements for pet birds may contain ingredients that are not suitable for food-producing animals.
- Quarantine new arrivals: To protect your flock from new diseases, always keep new chickens separate for at least two weeks before introducing them.
Nutritional needs for older chickens
As chickens get older and stop laying, their energy needs change. They no longer require the high calcium and protein levels found in layer feed.
- Watch their weight: Older birds may gain or lose weight. Their position in the flock's pecking order can also change, so you may need to feed them separately to ensure they are getting enough food.
- Adjust their diet: While layer feed isn't harmful, a feed designed for growers/pullets is a good choice for non-laying hens. It contains a moderate level of protein and a lower calcium content compared to layer feed. Alternatively, a 'All-Flock' or 'Maintenance' feed is an excellent option for non-laying birds.
- Support ageing joints and health: Adding antioxidants and beneficial fatty acids to their diet can be helpful. Supplements like Passwell Good Oil or Rose Hip Vital are good sources of these nutrients.
FAQs
By understanding and meeting the specific nutritional needs of your chickens at each life stage, you can help them live long, healthy, and productive lives.
From high-protein starter crumbles for new chicks to specialised layer pellets for egg-laying hens and maintenance diets for seniors, the right food makes all the difference. Tailoring their diet as they grow ensures your feathered companions have the essential building blocks to thrive.
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Thu 2 Oct 2025
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Nicole Wynne BSc BVMS MANZCVS (Unusual Pets)
Veterinarian, MANZCVS (Unusual Pets)
Dr. Nicole graduated from Murdoch University in WA in 2014, and immediately started working in exotics-only practice. She was also one of the few vets in Australia that would routinely see venomous snakes ranging from death adders to tiger snakes. Although Dr. Nicole enjoys seeing all exotic pets, her absolute favourite are rabbits. She passed her Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists Membership (MANZCVS) exam in unusual and exotic pets in 2021.
