4 day old chicks

[HilltopFarm]

Hello all, I'm new to the forum and I just recieved 12 chicks on wednesday, 4 delawares, 4 Jersey Giants and 4 Golden Buffs. They seem to be very healthy and active.

I fed them a couple of small worms today just as a treat. Is this ok?

Thanks

 

[HilltopFarm]

Sorry, here's the pictures.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Before you give them any more treats, make sure they have some grit. Go to any pet or grocery store and find the parakeet grit. Believe me - the chicks will go nuts for... yes... dirt. They love the darn stuff.

Grit is important for chicks because chickens "chew" food in their gizzard. The gizzard is filled with gravel and grit, which grinds the food up since chickens don't have teeth to chew. They need it to digest the food.

After they've had grit for a couple of days, you can give them other treats. My babies are nutso for crickets. I'll throw one or two on the floor of the kitchen and watch the 2 babies run around, slipipng & sliding, as they chase the crickets and each other.

Ahhh.. what better way to spend a Friday evening!

 

[krcote]

I try to think about baby chicks like a Momma hen would. She would be out showing them the world and all the good things to eat in it from day one. So you can do the same! As always, everything in moderation!

 

[HilltopFarm]

Thanks, yes, I have mixed a small amount of Chick Grit into their food. Is once a week a good time to give them a treat?

 

[JennsPeeps]

Mine got their first cricket at a week old. i'm w/ krcote on the whole "treat like a momma hen would". If a hen finds a tasty treat for her chicks, she's going to teach them to gobble it up. Mine get 95% chick feed, 5% other. They just started getting oatmeal and today they got a little bit of canned corn.

 

[OutdoorFun4]

Great pictures! They all look very happy. Enjoy them.

 

[HilltopFarm]

Quote:
How do you make the oatmeal and how do you feed it to them, and how often?

 

[JenMT]

Congrats they are beautiful!

 

[JennsPeeps]

Quote:
I don't make it! I just poured a few grains into a dish & gave it to them. They slurped it up quickly. I give them some when I feel like it. For example, today they were running around the kitchen. They'd been out for a while and I wanted to reward them for running to me. So I gave them maybe a tablespoon of oats.