A Few Questions

[ChikinInThePines]

Hi everyone! My 4 buttons are doing very well. Even the one I never thought would make it is alive and well.

I wanted to ask a few things:
1) Do chicks sleep a lot?
2) Is the softwood bedding okay at this age?
3) As a treat I give a few tiny mealworms now and then is that okay?

 

[eggbert420]

Yes yes and yes

 

[lomine]

If you feed anything other than bird feed you must provide grit. In the case of button I image sand would be easiest as even chicken chick grit is probably mostly too big. I usually just take a shovel of dirt from outside for chicks still in the brooder; my yard is mostly sand.

 

[ShangoBunny]

They will also eat diatomaceous earth, which you can add to their food or just sprinkle in their habitat. They will take a dust bath in it and it's also good for preventing mites, worms, and lice. It has to be food grade so that it's safe for them and for you.

 

[ChikinInThePines]

Thank you all! I have been feeding them the "Manna Pro Gamebird/Showbird" feed. Occasionally I'll throw in very little chopped finch seed. But is the manna pro food good? I was reading something about salt toxicity?! I don't have access to gamebird feed so everything I have to order online.

 

[lomine]

I have been feeding mine the Manna Pro Game bird/Show bird. I haven't had any issues.