5 week olds and food other than crumble

[MistyMountain]

I have an acorn squash on the counter that needs to be eaten by someone or something. Would it be OK to slice it in half and offer it to my flock of 17 five week old pullets? Should I remove the seeds?

I mix some grit in with their crumble as they get outside time now to forage in the grass. Should I offer the grit in it's own container, outside of the feed trough? I assume they would take what they need by instinct?

 

[Wyandottes7]

It would be fine to give them the squash, even with the seeds. They should be able to eat it with no trouble. However, don't be surprised if they don't like it or are frightened of the squash half at first. It often takes a while for chickens to learn to eat new foods.

Personally, I'd offer the grit in its own container. This way, they can get as much as they need, instead of just eating the amount put in their feed.

Hope I've helped!

 

[MistyMountain]

Absolutely! Thank you for the advice! I went ahead and put some grit in a little bowl for in the brooder and also took some kale stems with a few little leaves still on down to them. Maybe I will start with that and then offer the squash during an outside excursion to keep the mess inside down!