Supplementing chicks diet?

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Lithiayardbirds

Lithiayardbirds

In the Brooder
Mar 31, 2016
13
2
24
Lithia, Fl.
I have read on several posts here to keep the little ones on chick starter until the are 12 to 16 weeks old.
When I was a kid ( many moons ago) I saw my grandmother toss all kinds of veggie and baked goods scrap out to her birds and the chicks would follow the hens to the feast and eat the same stuff their mothers were eating.
Should I supplement my girls diet with goodies for them to scratch at in the grass of their run?
 
Hello & welcome!
frow.gif
There's nothing wrong with giving a small amount of appropriate goodies to the chicks. Feed it in the afternoon so they have had their formulated feed already.
Chicken feed is precisely mixed these days and gives the chick everything it really needs, so extra treats and food should be given sparingly. Make sure they have chick grit to help them process the scraps too otherwise there could be problems with impacted crops etc.
Enjoy!
 
Will letting them scratch the goodies out of the dirt in their run suffice in the place of grit? They scratch around out there and peck at the ground already.
 
Yes it should do. Just to make sure they are getting enough grit to aid digestion, check their crops in the morning before their breakfast, the crops should be relatively flat - if they are large and firm, they need some grit.
 
I got a little nervous and decided to toss a bit of grit about the run for them. They are picking it up and it seems to make them want to forage more. They are putting those ridiculously big feet to good use and chasing every bug that makes the mistake of crossing in to the wire.
 
Lithiayardbirds said:
I got a little nervous and decided to toss a bit of grit about the run for them. They are picking it up and it seems to make them want to forage more. They are putting those ridiculously big feet to good use and chasing every bug that makes the mistake of crossing in to the wire.
Click to expand...

It never hurts to have more girt - they will take what they need. As for bugs - wait until they see a small snake or frog, they will play tug o'war with it! I call baby snakes 'chicken spaghetti'"! They must be growing like weeds now - y'know, we always love pix
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