They are weird.

[herechickychicky]

Those are the kids, obsessively pecking at the bottom of their brooder. Are they trying to escape? Do they like the color brown? Do they like the taste of cardboard? Who knows.....but they have been doing this since early this morning. They do take a break for a quick nap or a bite to eat (other than the cardboard...lol) but what is going on here??

 

[Dingo]

are they scratching too? mine randomly spend and hour or so foraging through their shavings or just picking at the cardboard lining their big girl brooder.
If they're over obsessing over the spot I'd cover it for a little while, if they're filling up on shavings I'd worry about impaction.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

Give them a bowl of sand and sprinkle some crumbles in the shavings. This will give them something good to peck at and to learn to scratch and forage like they will when they go outside. Chicks are born to peck, and if you don't give them something nutritious and appropriate to peck at, they will drive you nuts pecking at the brooder walls and floor.

 

[herechickychicky]

Yup, they are scratching and kicking the shavings aside as well. I'll sprinkle some crumbles around to give em something to look for.

They are only a week old, is it too soon to sprinkle some grit around for them?

 

[Wildflower_VA]

Small grit is okay for them to have at a week old. I start chick grit when they are a week old, because that's when I start giving them grass and shredded veggies as treats. They don't need grit to eat boiled/scrambled eggs or yogurt, but anything that requires grinding in the crop needs grit. Don't give them much because they could fill up on grit and then not eat their crumbles.