Good treats for baby chicks?

[Russo's Roost]

My chicks are 1 week old, what about giving them grass clippings or dendelion flowers or a couple of spriggs from a spearmint plant?

 

[JennsPeeps]

Give them some grit, then throw in a single cricket. They'll watch it for a bit, then realize it's edible. Then let the fun ensue!

 

[NonnasBabies]

Hi all... This is my first post and I have to say I was so glad to see this topic as I have been wondering about this myself. I just got finsihed boiling 2 eggs for my 15 barred rock pullets and I can say I had a blast just watching them!!

It was a trip!!! Thanks...

Missi

 

[Flintrock]

I buy grit at the feed store. There are two kinds, Starter Grit and Grit. The Starter Grit is much finer and was ideal for the young ones. I found they ate it when they needed it, when it left for them to choose.

I fed my little ones, 2 wks old, meal worms. I did not know there were any problems with giving them the heads. I would like more information on that subject. I guess I will find it thru searching BYC.

I did know that snacks should not make up more than 10 percent of their total intake of food. Take care of they babies, hold them often, because they grow so fast.

 

[MareeZoCool]

mine are crazy for raw apples, cottage cheese, and some left-over mac& cheese. Spaghrtti, ham, cooked & diced into 1/4 " cubes or chunx is fine. One of my hens refuses popcorn, the other two gobble it up as fast as it hits the ground! Oatmeal is a favorite treat for my hens & rooster alike. RAW OATMEAL,~ the OLD-FASHIONED oats, RAW, DRY It sure helps if a chicken has drippy or loose poo. Some oatmeal a few days in a row, the poo is nice, white & almost clean.

If you want to feed your chickens something, check the list, then try a tiny bit on your chickens and see how they react to it. You could be in for lots of fun, just watching your bird's reactions.

Have fun, and may God bless you & all you do.

 

[gardenak]

I used this forum and asked if beach sand was o.k., it was, so I give mine rinsed beach sand-they love it. I gave them boiled egg to start with, then yogurt. They wound up wearing more than they ate so I tried putting Quaker Oats in it. Still too much of a mess and they didn't like it as well. The cooked, cut up spaghetti was as much fun for me as it is for them. Even though there are 3 dishes set out with noodles in them, they feel the need to try and take the piece the first chick got away. Now that they are 3 weeks old, I put half a peeled banana in the pen for them to peck. I also gave them a zuke but they didn't seem to interested in it. They love chopped grapes too!

 

[Russo's Roost]

I put a perch in my brooder after 3 days, I just used a half inch dowel because I had it in the scrap wood pile but any natural branck off a tree should work as well, probably better because the dowel is so slick, a branch with bark would give them more grip. My peeps are now 12 days old and today I put a chunk of firewood and a medium small branch in their newer larger brooder box along with the perch and they love it. I have one golden comet that had pasty butt when we got her so she is a little smaller then the rest of the other 5 birds, she has learned that when the others get playing the only place she is safe is on the perch. I read to get them on the perch as young as possible, it's good for their health and it's easier to start them on it when they are young and will still listen to mom and dad.

 

[nature nut]

Mine liked to play chick football with grape halves and by the time they were 6 weeks old they would and still will absolutely come running and mug me for raisins.

 

[vermontgal]

My chicks went out in the composter at age 2-3 days. There they immediately found microscopic insects, so small that I could not see them, and various bits of compost veggies to eat. Chicks being taught to forage by momma hen do not eat only chick starter! Treats in moderation (keeping in mind their tiny body size) should be ok. I used sand for grit.

 

[mayapooh]

I managed to hatch out a single Serama last summer, and despite keeping a close eye on him at all times, he managed to make off with all kinds of treats I didn't think he should have. LOL Canned cat food, Mexican food, cake crumbs, several sips of coffee and cola, one unlucky Styrofoam peanut... Seriously, it was like he had radar - within a minute of my sitting down with a plate of food, bam! He'd fly right up and snatch something off the plate. So, I kinda got over being paranoid about his diet and just tried to keep him from away from anything overly spicy, salty, or greasy, and keep the other stuff in moderation. And, as of today, he's happy, healthy, and full of attitude.