Chick boredom

[aim0474]

I am concerned that my 1-3 week old chicks are getting bored. The 2 smaller ones still sleep quite a bit, but are moving to being awake for longer periods of time. Today they scratched down to the bottom of the brooder, whivh makes me think I am dealimg with boredom.

Are some of the idea used for full grown chickens still goimg to apply with young chicks? A small head of cabbage or watermelon to keep Them busy? So far they are getting chick feed only.

Thanks!

 

[azygous]

If you don't have meal worms, yes, any insects will be fine. One of the first things my baby chicks get is grass hoppers. Be sure to provide grit when you start feeding anything other than chick feed.

I have to tell you a fun story. I have a single baby chick being reared by a broody hen. When I first gave her meal worms at just a few days old, the chick's first instinct upon grabbing a meal worm was to run off with it, peeping madly. But there were no other chicks to play "keep-away" with, so she's been deprived of this exciting game.

Yesterday, I found a live grasshopper, a huge one, in the rain barrel. This chick is now four weeks old and is being integrated into the main flock by the broody hen. When I gave the chick the grasshopper, she took off running with it, and this time she had others to play keep-away with because every adult hen in the run gave chase. It was just hilarious to see that tiny chick with the huge grasshopper in her tiny beak with a trail of big chickens chasing her around the run.

No, they didn't get her precious treasure away from her. She managed to evade everyone and she ate the thing all herself.

 

[lazy gardener]

Give them a plug of soil from your yard (not treated with insecticides/herbicides). Give them a hanging string of small beads to peck at. Give them field trips (supervised) to your yard. Put some squiggles and dots on a piece of cardboard with a sharpie. Give them some crickets. Chicks are meant to scratch and dig. That's what chickens do. Don't give them much in the way of treats, unless it's high protein: bits of egg, finely chopped liver.

 

[tampachick]

I thought it was my imagination that my 3 week old baby Jersey Giants were bored... they just graduated to a bigger coop on the porch during the day, and are kept in the garage (predators) at night. My question is, we have a nice patch of new grass we can put in there, but I lost one of my beautiful hens (Peaches, an Ameracauna) 4 days ago because of an impacted crop. I learned a hard lesson too late. The sweet girl died in my arms. I don't want to put my babies in harms way with grass, fearing an impacted crop. Any suggestions, recommendations?

Karen

(RIP my beautiful Peaches). (the new big girl coop)

 

[HaloAmanda]

Awesome that was my next question. Currently they are only eating medicated chick crumbles but I want to give them treats such as feeder insects. I know petco has bird grit so I will buy that and add a little on top of their crumbles on days I give insects. Thank you

Grit is only needed if you feed them things other than their chick starter. Anything NOT water soluble will need grit.

You can go to any pet shop and purchase Parakeet grit. It comes in a small box.  It's basically sand. Don't leave a bowl of it out as chicks can sometimes think it is food and will fill their crops and can die. Just a heavy sprinkling on some food, as if you are over salting a plate of food. It doesn't take much grit for their tiny gizzards. 

 

[azygous]

A big winner is a small tub of sand to "dirt" bathe in. Peat moss is a nice medium, too, and the chicks love burrowing into it.

Chicks, even very young ones, can benefit from trips outdoors to dig and explore. Don't worry about being away from a heat source. They can handle time away from it. Just watch for signs of chilling and select a day over 70F with no strong breezes.

And for occasional high excitement, nothing beats meal worms.

 

[aim0474]

Thanks for the ideas!

They do have a dust bath area and the meal worms were a bust. Not sure why all 3 of them ignore the meal worms.....

I will set up an area for field trips

 

[aim0474]

Just want to say thanks to everyone for the ideas the dirt or grass Clump was a huge success. I also got my compost condo set up and is fully enclosed with the chicken wire so they can take a little field trip up there now during the day when it's warm. I had them out there for a few minutes and they loved it.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks for the ideas!

They do have a dust bath area and the meal worms were a bust. Not sure why all 3 of them ignore the meal worms.....

I will set up an area for field trips

Were they live meal worms?

Just want to say thanks to everyone for the ideas the dirt or grass Clump was a huge success. I also got my compost condo set up and is fully enclosed with the chicken wire so they can take a little field trip up there now during the day when it's warm. I had them out there for a few minutes and they loved it.

Beware chicken wire with littles. They can get their heads stuck in it. And it is not the least bit predator proof. Glad you are able to get them out.

 

[aart]

Not a great pic, cropped from a larger pic, but you can just see it in there....
....a cardboard box with some pine shavings and entrance cut in side can be good to block wind for small chicks on 'field trips'.
Same concept can be used, with top on box, for a huddle box for young chicks in brooder and to move out to coop once they are off heat for holding body heat at night.