Arizona Chickens

[meetthebubus]

@DesertChic my bubus used to go crazy over spaghetti, in fact i was giving them that treat the first time i discovered they were laying eggs, but they have since learned that they aren't really worms and resent me for it lol they are fun to watch though huh?

also in general my bubus are such picky eaters! the food they once loved they don't and when i give them bread they turn their beaks up at the crust like little kids, they also easily tire of the same treat and seem to constantly want variety, it drives me crazy lol
they won't even eat carrot peels it just shrivels up in the run

anyone else run into picky chickens? lol

 

[meetthebubus]

@Bobby Basham i agree with @DesertChic about being careful what you give them when they are little

personally i didn't give them treats until they were close to 1 month old and that was tiny, tiny pieces of soft bread to start them out and boy did they go crazy running around.

see chicks are such good feed eaters they will just eat and eat the feed so well, they haven't gotten spoiled with yummier foods yet, until they get older and start nearing egg stage when treats are more essential for them, so i would lay off the treats as fun as it may be until they are older and are scratching around outside and getting lots of natural grit, in my opinon of course have fun!

 

[igorsMistress]

@Bobby Basham you can put it in a dish but they'll get it all over anyway

 

[SonoranChick]

Happy thanksgiving! Anyone giving their feather babies a treat? I'm doing pomegranate and maybe some hominy for them!

By the way it's been exactly one year since Mohawkie (pic avatar) got chased by the bobcat and survived!

Happy Thanksgiving! I love your Mohawkie! Such a cutie...glad the bobcat didn't win.
I was just thinking the same thing this morning...what to give the gals for thanksgiving breakfast. I was going to do some yogurt and scratch with dried cranberries mixed in.

 

[SonoranChick]

@Bobby Basham after two weeks I gave my chicks this stuff as their first treat. They are still addicted to it! It's from the feed store and has grit and chick crumble in it already, plus all kinds of goodies like worms, red pepper, oregano, and shrimp. In moderation, this is a wonderful chick-safe treat. I even think it smells good!

 

[Bobby Basham]

@Bobby Basham you can put it in a dish but they'll get it all over anyway

Thanks, IgorsMistress. They are doing a lot of scratching in the wood shavings and I have to go in there every hour to clean out the water and feed.

They run down to the other end of the brooder, just staring quietly at me as I clean, but as soon as I turn my hand over, exposing an open palm, they all come running and 2-3 of them will jump on my hand. I manage to sneak in a little "side pet" with my thumb.

I just wanted to maintain that hand=food relationship and not do anything to harm them.

 

[FeatherPugs]

@Bobby Basham - put your waterer and feeder up on a plate or upside down dish - something that will raise it a bit - it will help with the junk in the food and water. I have a little platform (made from junk scraps) that I use for water and finally use an upside down pie plate for the food. Believe me they will figure it out.

 

[Bobby Basham]

@Bobby Basham - put your waterer and feeder up on a plate or upside down dish - something that will raise it a bit - it will help with the junk in the food and water. I have a little platform (made from junk scraps) that I use for water and finally use an upside down pie plate for the food. Believe me they will figure it out.

Yes, that's my plan when I move them in the next day or two since they are approaching two weeks old this weekend. I have plenty extra scrap wood pieces and other things to elevate the waterers and feeder.

 

[DesertChic]

Should chick grit be in its own little dish, or is it lightly distributed around the brooder or in their feed?

You can actually add the grit to feed dish, or put it in a separate dish...as long as they see it and show curiosity, they'll eventually start pecking at it and eating it. I often mix my chicks' wet feed and then pour the grit in a small pile in the middle of the feed dish. They typically alternate between pecking at the food and eating the grit, and eventually will start kicking it throughout the broody because that's what they do.

 

[DesertChic]

Thanks, IgorsMistress. They are doing a lot of scratching in the wood shavings and I have to go in there every hour to clean out the water and feed.

They run down to the other end of the brooder, just staring quietly at me as I clean, but as soon as I turn my hand over, exposing an open palm, they all come running and 2-3 of them will jump on my hand. I manage to sneak in a little "side pet" with my thumb.

I just wanted to maintain that hand=food relationship and not do anything to harm them.

The good news is that they've began to identify you both as the one who feeds them, and as the familiar, friendly face they can trust. Giving them treats and feed from your hand too often can actually cause more problems than it will solve as they grow older. You don't want them to ONLY think of your hands as a source of food. If they do, then eventually every time you reach out in front of them they'll begin to attack your hand expecting it to contain food. Make sure you frequently put your hand in there without food and let them hop atop it, roost on it, etc. without getting food. Handle them frequently so they learn that being picked up and pet isn't frightening. It will build trust.

Also, just to prepare you, as they get to about 4 weeks of age, all chicks enter a rather flighty, skittish stage. Don't take it personally; it's just part of their natural development. As their wing feathers develop more and they begin testing them and their limits and even your sweetest, tamest birds can suddenly behave as if they're terrified of you. Be patient and calm, move slowly, sit still next to the brooder, speak softly....anything to exude calm. After a few weeks the affection will return and they'll begin to calm down. During this time you may find that the cockerels are the friendliest and most assertive of the flock, coming directly to you, settling into your hand, roosting next to you and hopping onto your shoulder or head, running up your arm....

Cockerels will go through another stage beginning as early as 8 weeks, often closer to 12 weeks in my experience, during which they may begin biting your hands and even challenging you. As those teenage hormones kick in they can get pretty rowdy. Some will grow out of it and become really good roosters. Others will turn aggressive. There are a lot of body language and psychological cues to indicate which way each may go, but it's far too much to type out and you'll develop your own instincts on the matter as you observe and spend more time with your birds. I just want you to be prepared for the normal "growing pains".