First time chick owner.... 2 questions

[urbanchicks76]

Hi Everyone I'm glad I found this fourm!! I am a first time chick owner. We got our 4 little gals 6 days ago. They all seem to be doing very well and we are in love already. I have 2 questions...

1. I live in S. CA it is usually pretty warm. My question is at what age is it safe to let the little gals outside for a little bit in the yard to scratch the grass and get some sunlight? Covered of course.

2. At what age is it safe it introduce table scraps? I know they are still too young but I have not seen anything on what age to start introducing other foods.


Thanks so much

 

[KandJsmama]

I think we brought ours out for some supervised yard time after the first week. It was August in Las Vegas so warmth wasn't an issue. We really loved watching them play in the grass and try to catch bugs. My kids would smear plain yogurt on their legs and the chicks would pick it off. They are now 29 weeks and doing great!

 

[gkeesling]

I'd say to let them go outside when ever the weather is warm enough for them - supervised of course. I put my first chicks out in the coop when they were feathered - I think I remember that being at 5 weeks. I can't really answer the question about table scraps. My new chicks ate chicken feed (crumbles) until they were over 10 weeks old. I'd say after they are feathered and scratching around outside thenyou can throw anything to them and see if they will eat it. I was amazed at what chickens will eat. We give ours chicken, turkey, and rabbit carcasses that we have finished with and they hens really pick the bones clean. We also throw left over steak bones out to them and about anything else that comes off the table. I figure they will leave what they don't want to eat. this is all as a treat though. Mostly they eat their layer crumbles. We don't let ours free range

 

[LeghornLisa]

Not sure about letting them out because they need to be at a certain temperature, if the huddle together they are too cold. I wouldn't be comfortable with letting them roam and eating whatever them can pick up. I gave my girls a treat before they were 12 weeks old and switched their food from medicated mash to grower crumbles because the woman at my local Agway store suggested it. They ended up with impacted crops, according to my local 4-H leader you need to keep them on the medicated mash until they are 12 weeks old, their little systems just can't handle the other stuff. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Keri78]

I kept my babies on starter "crumbles" 20% protein for whatever the recommended age on the bag said...after they were 8weeks old and fully feathered I put them outside(this was the first week of Oct. in NJ sooo 70-80degrees give or take during the day they made out fine!) I wouldn't take them out in less then 75-80 degree weather for long periods...a few minutes here and there should be ok..they LOVE to explore! Once mine were 8 weeks and outside I began giving tablescraps...we're vegetarians so it was pretty basic left overs anyway. They continued on the chick starter 20% protein for quite a while though. Glad your enjoying your babies!!! Oh and

Blessings, Keri

 

[rirluvr]

Mine stayed indoors until they were feathered. The feathers are their protection from low temperatures. I would say to be safe leave them protected until they are feathered and when the time comes for them to go outside and stay outside then you can let them try scraps.

 

[Andi]

Welcome to BYC!

I agree that temp and being outside is the key. Watching their behavior is a great method to know if they are warm enough.

Although I don't know the answer to when its alright to start giving them table scraps, I'd be inclines to wait until they have done the majority of their growing. The reason is the grower feed has everything nutritionally the chicks need to get what they need. By introducing table scraps they won't eat as much of the feed and as a result won't get the well balanced nutrition.

Best of luck with your chicken adventures!

 

[tnchickenut]

As soon as they are feathered out enough to tolerate the temps outside. Week 1, they should be at 100F... week 1, 95F... so and and so on. SO... it depends on the tempatures of your area at the time, and the feathered-out-ness (it's a word now!) of your birds.

If you put them out and they tweet like crazy... they are cold. Grass and sun and bugs and all the wild things are good for them. Have fun!

 

[gryeyes]

At the end of one week, mine happened to be two weeks old, because I bought 'em a week old from the feed store. Anyway, I gave 'em mealworms (and a little dish of construction sand for grit) and they went nuts over 'em. I also started giving them shredded mozarella cheese now and then. Most of the time, however, their "treats" were their cumbles mixed with warm water. They LOVED that.

They were 4 wks old before I started taking them outside for little day trips of about 2 hours. Oh, my goodness, they thought that was wonderful. They didn't mind being gathered up into a cardboard box to be taken outside, but CATCHING them to get them back INSIDE was .... hilarious. *wiping sweat off forehead* Even in a 5x6 pen they can scatter, and that pen was under the A-Frame coop, and I'd not been smart enough to realize I would have to crawl in there on my belly to get them.

 

[teach1rusl]

Right or wrong, I took mine outside for some "playtime" when they were two weeks old. It was a warm sunny day and we stayed outside maybe 20 minutes. They loved it. As others have said, if they're acting cold, time to go inside. I also gave mine a few treats at that age...they loved chopped up boiled egg. I did give them fine grit (just sprinkled it on their feed like salt). I wouldn't feed them scraps as the main course, and I would only try mild items...in moderation. Have fun with your chickies!!!