my chicks are three weeks old. And today was the first day I put them in one of their "runs" 6 feet by 6 feet area. Inside it, we have extra tomato plants growing. Places for them to take cover if they get scared. We are organic so no pesticide, herbicide or petrol chemical based fertilizer.
I had to coax to chicks out of the chicken taxi, a pet carrier, to carry them from the brooder to the run. First time out for the chicks on real dirt. They didn't quite know what to do for a while and they kept looking at me. It took them about 3 to 5 minutes before the shock wore off and they all started to peck the dirt.
And all of sudden, my dark brahma started to peck the ground wildly... When I realized she was after an earwig, I was going to pick the little chick away since I didn't think she was ready to eat a bug. Not having any grit I didn't think eating earwig would be a good idea. But... before I could catch my chick, she nailed the earwig and down the hatch it went. She said thank you very much...
Earwig was small about half an inch in length. Should I worry?? can her gut handle it with very little grit. She's been feeding strictly on high protein feed without grit.
Its been about 5 hours and she seems to be fine still.
Oh they love the perch/roost I placed in their brooder. Cut off a reasonable sized branch in my back yard, stripped it of its leaves and scrubbed with stiff bristle under running water to remove loose bark and dirt. I don't think I need to train them to use the roost.
I had to coax to chicks out of the chicken taxi, a pet carrier, to carry them from the brooder to the run. First time out for the chicks on real dirt. They didn't quite know what to do for a while and they kept looking at me. It took them about 3 to 5 minutes before the shock wore off and they all started to peck the dirt.
And all of sudden, my dark brahma started to peck the ground wildly... When I realized she was after an earwig, I was going to pick the little chick away since I didn't think she was ready to eat a bug. Not having any grit I didn't think eating earwig would be a good idea. But... before I could catch my chick, she nailed the earwig and down the hatch it went. She said thank you very much...
Earwig was small about half an inch in length. Should I worry?? can her gut handle it with very little grit. She's been feeding strictly on high protein feed without grit.
Its been about 5 hours and she seems to be fine still.
Oh they love the perch/roost I placed in their brooder. Cut off a reasonable sized branch in my back yard, stripped it of its leaves and scrubbed with stiff bristle under running water to remove loose bark and dirt. I don't think I need to train them to use the roost.
