8 week pullets - finally here!!!!!

[tenderkat]

Hello Everyone.......

Yesterday, I finally picked up my 8 week pullets...........3 Rhode Islands and 3 Barred Rock. They are the most amazingly adorable little creatures, I am so happy they are finally here!! I am absolutley shocked at how much they eat!!

I am hoping to get some ideas on treats and snacks that my girls might enjoy at this age. I have read the treat page, but I'm not sure if there are age guidlines on when to introduce particular foods. Are they too young to give all those treats to?

I am feeding them chick starter, which I assume I give them until they start laying? Do I give them anything else, such as grit or scratch?

Yesterday I gave them some strawberries, which they really seemed to enjoy. This morning I went out there to say good morning with a big bowl of warm oatmeal and applesauce. I naively set it down right in the middle of them, and my girls just about had a brawl!!! Oatmeal was flying everywhere, they were all walking in it..................is this type of behavior normal, or are my chickens just out of their mind?

I also have a question about hand feeding. Will this encourage them to peck at hands? I want to hand tame them, so I thought I could foster this by giving them treats, but am I creating little monsters?

The joys of motherhood..............getting to know them is going to be so interesting.......

 

[Judy]

Most any treat is fine now. But I would limit it to not more than 5% or so of their daily intake, unless it is a high protein treat. Starter is fine. It is even fine after they start laying, if you also offer free choice oyster shell separately, so they can choose.

The oatmeal scene was quite normal! If they don't react that way, they didn't like your menu choice -- although they might go nuts for it tomorrow. And nothing wrong with hand feeding. They are little dinosaurs, very primitive. Once they perceive you as the treat lady, just use it to get them to do your bidding, go into the coop at night, come when called, whatever.

They will peck the treat out of your hand, but I think you will find that this rarely if ever even hurts, much less breaks the skin. Next step is to slip your hand under the breast and pick them up. Some will accept this, some not so much. Either way, you are training them to not be so fearful of THE BIG BAD HAND, and this will come in very handy when you need to examine or medicate them.

Nothing more fun than watching my hens do their hilarious run across the yard to see what I have today. Decide on a call, and say it every time you offer treats. (Mine is, here chippy chippy. Whatever comes natural for you; just be consistent, as with any animal.) Does not take them long to figure out that the sound means goodies. Life is so much easier if they come when you call.

 

[Judy]

Oh, grit and scratch.

Many soils provide plenty of grit. You did not give a state or country. I offer grit, some take it, some not; I have sandy soil so they at least get small grit. It is just crushed granite. If you have a gravel driveway and they have access, they already have it available.

Scratch is just a high carb treat. It is mostly corn, which is high carb, and will fatten chickens if given enough. There is a myth that it increases body temp. Not true, but any high carb at dusk can give a bit of an energy boost to generate heat for the night. We don't get a lot of nights below freezing, but when one is in store, I give scratch for the energy. I also give a little every morning.

I offer feed, oyster shell, and grit free choice, in feeders or bowls. I toss scratch on the ground.