Baby Chick Crumbs?

[Jojosine]

Hi there

2 questions:

1)
Can you add water to baby chick crumbs to make a kind of oatmeal/porridge?

2)
can the mother hen peck the baby chick crumbs from the solid floor?
The chick can, I've seen it doing that, but for a larger beak this is maybe not possible? I am worried that the mother hen will starve and will eat the chick in the end

It's my first time raising a chick, well not me personally, the mother hen , so I am worried about everything!

 

[Perris]

Hi there

2 questions:

1)
Can you add water to baby chick crumbs to make a kind of oatmeal/porridge?

2)
can the mother hen peck the baby chick crumbs from the solid floor?
The chick can, I've seen it doing that, but for a larger beak this is maybe not possible? I am worried that the mother hen will starve and will eat the chick in the end

It's my first time raising a chick, well not me personally, the mother hen , so I am worried about everything!

Hello Jojosine welcome to BYC

Q1: you can, but I wouldn't - you don't want it sticky. Put a separate shallow dish of water, with marbles or gravel in so the chicks don't drown in it.
Q2: yes, but why not put the food in a shallow dish? The mother hen needs a lot of food right now; incubating the eggs will have drained a lot of her condition. I would offer her (the chicks can eat it too) scrambled eggs made with a little milk. Little and often is the best way to feed chicks, and will suit mum too for now.

Photos are always appreciated here, especially of broody hens and their chicks

 

[Jojosine]

Hello Jojosine welcome to BYC

Q1: you can, but I wouldn't - you don't want it sticky. Put a separate shallow dish of water, with marbles or gravel in so the chicks don't drown in it.
Q2: yes, but why not put the food in a shallow dish? The mother hen needs a lot of food right now; incubating the eggs will have drained a lot of her condition. I would offer her (the chicks can eat it too) scrambled eggs made with a little milk. Little and often is the best way to feed chicks, and will suit mum too for now.

Photos are always appreciated here, especially of broody hens and their chicks

Thank you for your reply

The crumbs are in a shallow dish, but mum throws it out and all over the floor to show little Harvey how to scratch. So, I was worried she may not be able to peck it off the floor herself.

Sorry, the one picture I have is on my computer at home, but I'll post it as soon as I have finished working tonight (UK time).

 

[Perris]

Thank you for your reply

The crumbs are in a shallow dish, but mum throws it out and all over the floor to show little Harvey how to scratch. So, I was worried she may not be able to peck it off the floor herself.

Sorry, the one picture I have is on my computer at home, but I'll post it as soon as I have finished working tonight (UK time).

Ah yes; I've found they get better with this with experience; my 5 year old is now an expert at NOT flinging it (and chicks) everywhere She does the motion carefully and without actually making contact with the bowl or contents. She used to do it very vigorously and chicks quickly learned not to stand anywhere in front of her
They'll all be able to pick it up, don't worry.

If you can let them out in the garden for a bit she can satisfy the urge and teach Harvey what's edible out there and where to hide in case of danger. It will also will do him good for mini exposure to whatever bugs are endemic in your environment. And find him some grit. My broodies take their chicks out on day 2.

 

[Perris]

Like this: this is her with her August chicks

 

[Jojosine]

Ah yes; I've found they get better with this with experience; my 5 year old is now an expert at NOT flinging it (and chicks) everywhere She does the motion carefully and without actually making contact with the bowl or contents. She used to do it very vigorously and chicks quickly learned not to stand anywhere in front of her
They'll all be able to pick it up, don't worry.

If you can let them out in the garden for a bit she can satisfy the urge and teach Harvey what's edible out there and where to hide in case of danger. It will also will do him good for mini exposure to whatever bugs are endemic in your environment. And find him some grit. My broodies take their chicks out on day 2.

This mother hen is not very handy (she destroyed 11 out of 12 eggs by crushing them!) Harvey is the one and only lucky survivor.

My husband got a fright when he saw her giving Harvey swimming lessons in the water bowl (she threw him around as well and he nearly landed in the shallow water), he has learned to stay away from her unless he wants to sit under her to get warm.
Men act as if they don't care, but he was well chuffed when he saw mother cleaning her beak and Harvey doing the same

We'll keep them in the coop for a little longer as the ramp is quite big and Harvey is still tiny (he is only 6 days old).

As I said, I am a first-time 'mum' so totally stressed about it all

 

[Perris]

that sounds very trying. And as if the eggshells were on the thin side; I wouldn't blame her for that.

She will learn as she goes, and hopefully won't do anything fatal to Harvey on her first attempt. In any case, she will know better next time Getting up the ramp the first time can be very fraught for us watching on; a good mum will show the chick again and again, and if it still doesn't work, will come down and sit on them under or by it. That's the time to intervene, or earlier if the chick is cold or too tired to try again and she hasn't realized. But it is good for them both to get out onto the ground as soon as possible. Harvey's immune system needs priming. Good luck.

 

[Toothpick]

I think you are overthinking it. Which we all tend to do from time to time. You don’t need to mix it with water. Just put it out and let them go to town. But give the chicks someplace they can get water. I had a hen hatch 3 eggs right in the coop with all the other chickens. She was a good mother and kept them protected. I put out the standard gravity water feeder round dish thingy you get at tractor supply so the chicks could access it. As far as food….well they ate whatever the big chicks ate because I didn’t see any way to give them chick grower and keep the big birds out of it. So they just foraged in the run and ate whatever the mother hen ate. If they got water and a good mother hen…they will be fine.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Hi there

2 questions:

1)
Can you add water to baby chick crumbs to make a kind of oatmeal/porridge?

You can do a little as a treat but I would not do all their feed this way because by adding water the feed swells and the nutrients are diluted meaning they have to eat more mash to get the same nutrients as if it was dry

2)
can the mother hen peck the baby chick crumbs from the solid floor?
The chick can, I've seen it doing that, but for a larger beak this is maybe not possible? I am worried that the mother hen will starve and will eat the chick in the end

I recommend getting a feeder for mum and babies to eat from.

It's my first time raising a chick, well not me personally, the mother hen , so I am worried about everything!

No problem we are here to help....and learn too!

 

[Ridgerunner]

1)
Can you add water to baby chick crumbs to make a kind of oatmeal/porridge?

Yes, many people do, especially in hot weather to get more water in their system. You can do it with pellets or mash too. People that have rescue hens where their upper beak has been cut off also make a porridge, it is easier for them to eat.

But you want them to eat it all up. If some wet feed is left over it can go moldy, which is dangerous. So small batches.

They can make a mess with this porridge. But to me chickens and messes go together.

2)
can the mother hen peck the baby chick crumbs from the solid floor?

Yes, as long as her beak is intact. Chickens use their beaks as you use your hands or a dog uses its tongue. They are extremely accurate with their pecks.