Chick Quicks, Episode 5: Unseasoned Assumptions about Baby Chicks

Welcome to our first special edition of Chick Quicks... Hot Wings! Hot Wings will cover subjective topics through my own personal opinion, meaning some (or many) readers may disagree with what's said. Will there be "hot takes", or will it be bland and flavorless?


I'm already offended. How DARE you call my opinions "unseasoned"!

Hold on a minute! I'm referring to myself as unseasoned — at least when I was first starting out. Now that I've raised over a dozen fuzz butts, I like to think I'm more "lightly seasoned" in my perspectives. That's not to say I'm right, and everyone else is wrong. I'm just one voice amongst many on BYC.

By the way, I need to use bold text for the headings in this episode, so you're dismissed, Mr. Boldface.

I'll be quiet, but I'm not leaving.

That's fine. Let's get into it, folks! Here are three of my initial assumptions about raising baby chicks, and how they've since changed.

1. All baby chicks need supplements in their water.


I'm not sure how I got stuck on this idea.

I do remember bringing home my first chicks from the farm store, then dutifully preparing their Sav-A-Chick Electrolyte & Vitamin water as if they were high-level athletes in a Gatorade commercial, or suddenly on the brink of death from the 5-minute ride back to my house. The truth is, these chicks didn't need it! They had clearly recovered since leaving the hatchery, had been happily eating and drinking at the farm store, and were lively enough to launch themselves at the heat plate cover until 2am.

Now, the chicks shipped to me through the mail were an entirely different animal. My home was their first reprieve after 2 days in a shipping box. You could see it on their faces. Unlike the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed chicks from the farm store, these ones were very lethargic, barely standing on their feet, and likely dehydrated. Adding a supplement to their water, like Sav-A-Chick, helped to give them a boost and recover their strength.

My Take: An electrolyte & vitamin supplement is a MUST HAVE in your first-aid kit. If your chicks are shipping through the mail, I would offer the mixture to them that first day, alongside plain water. However, if you're picking up your chicks in-person, and they appear to be active and healthy, it's okay (and even preferable) to stick to plain water. These supplements can be pretty salty and are best saved for times of stress.

2. Chicks need treats to like me.

For the purpose of this episode, we're defining treats as anything other than chick crumble. And look, everyone loves treats. Even baby chicks. Will treats help to sweeten your relationship? Possibly. Do I think you should offer them? No. Cue the sad trombone.


I know. I'm a complete party pooper, but I have my reasons:

• Baby chicks are VERY small, so treats can quickly create a nutritional imbalance. You'd have to limit them to such a small amount (like a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a mealworm) that it's not even worth the effort.
• The moment your chicks start to eat more than just their chick food, you need to offer grit for proper digestion. Some of my chicks can barely eat their crumble, nevermind very small rocks. I also can't find a grit dish they won't bury with shavings in 2.5 seconds.
• Treats create entitlement, and entitled chickens are brats. Ask anyone that regularly gives their chickens treats. They can start to boycott their food, peck at your hands with their pointy beaks, and audibly tantrum when you don't have the goods.
• Spending time with your chicks is enough to form a bond that's not treat-dependent. Hang out with them! Read a book next to the brooder. Tell them about your day at work or school. The more face time you put in, the faster they'll learn to trust you as one of their own.
• If you really want to hand-feed them, you can put some crumble or hot mash on your fingers and see if they're interested.

My Take: Skip the treats with young chicks. Your time is good enough for their affections. Once they get a little bigger and start making trips outside (around the 3-week mark), you can slowly introduce treats. Limit it to 10% of their total diet, mix it up with fresh fruits and vegetables, and don't offer goodies every day to prevent entitlement. Remember: "In the brooder, treats are cruder. In the sun, treats are fun!"

3. If I handle my chicks a lot, they'll be cuddly as adults.

This is a common assumption, and one that was dispelled for me immediately. I could tell, from day one, which chicks would grow up to be cuddly because I COULD NOT GET THEM OFF ME! Seriously, I wasn't seeking them out at all. I would just calmly drape an arm into their brooder and they'd run over like attention-starved puppies. The ones that were disinterested, stayed disinterested into adulthood. It was truly a case of nature over nurture.

Aside from that, I've never been keen on forced interactions, like picking them up, unless it was necessary (e.g., pasty butt treatment). I can see the idea behind getting your chicks accustomed to handling from a young age, but it can also backfire. Prey animals do not like things that reach over their head or restrain them. That said, I've produced a surprising number of lap chickens just by being present, respecting their boundaries, and letting them come to me on their terms.

My Take: Only handle your chicks for logistic or medical reasons. If you want to increase your odds of a snuggle buddy, it's more important to build trust. Don't believe me? I'll leave you with a short video. These are birds that were fearful as chicks (having spent 2 long days in the mail), but were never forced to be handled more than necessary. You'll notice my husband keeps his hands to himself and avoids any unauthorized contact. In return, they trust him completely and can't wait for "bench time" each day.


I'm back, and I disagree with something you said.

Well thank GOODNESS! This wouldn't be a very good Hot Wings if everyone shared my opinions. It's too bad we're out of time. Otherwise, I'd love to hear your grievances.

Wait! How DARE you say —


Thanks for reading! If you have questions or comments (or even grievances), leave them below. I'm always happy to chat. Up next is Episode 6: What's in your first aid kit?

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