Treats for 5 week old chicks

[Brittanygail]

Can I give my babies treats? Do I need to provide grit?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes, you can give a small treat. Scrambled egg, a little greens, apple to pick at, etc.

I highly recommend that chick grit is provided free choice.

When are you planning on getting them outside?
More space and a tub of dirt/sand to dust bath in would be fun for them as well.

 

[Brittanygail]

Yes, you can give a small treat. Scrambled egg, a little greens, apple to pick at, etc.

I highly recommend that chick grit is provided free choice.

When are you planning on getting them outside?
More space and a tub of dirt/sand to dust bath in would be fun for them as well.

Sweet I will try scrambled eggs! We have two hens that came with our house we bought last year lol we were going to wait until they were the size of our girls before we put them out there with them. I am going to build them a temporary shelter inside the pen to get them used to each other. I think we have another cold snap coming so hopefully once the weather gets nice they can spend some time outside. Currently they are in an extra large dog crate right now and have a large perch that they really love. I do have one that try’s to dust bathe in the shavings so I think it would be a great idea to get them some dirt to dust bathe in. Can I just get dirt out of the yard? I have attached their home before we put chicken wire around it because we had an escape artist lol. Will this be big enough to hold them before they are big enough to go outside?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes, you can use dirt from the yard.
If your chicken run where the adults live is dry, then I'd get a small amount of dirt from the existing run to mix with the yard dirt so they youngsters get a bit of exposure to what they will encounter outside.

Oh, that's a nice large kennel! Do be aware if you give them dirt, you will have DUST and dirt flung everywhere. I don't brood indoors at all now, oh my! Chick dander, dust...it sticks to everything

(but they will love having dirt!)

 

[David61]

we were going to wait until they were the size of our girls before we put them out there with them.

nooooooooo, get them out with the others in another few weeks. Integration of younger birds to the flock should be done while they are small and not seen as a threat to the pecking order but big enough not to be hurt. 8-12 weeks is when mine get behind the wire in the coop and turned out after two weeks of looking at each other.

 

[viggo63]

I give my chicks hay to scratch in and eat when they are about a week old, along with free choice grit. Its the cutest thing to see them get so busy. If you think about chicks hatched in their "natural habitat", they will eat right along with the hen, so why not let them do the same in a cage? They still get their unlimited starter crumble for complete nutrition.