baby chick food/reaction question

[m2wandc]

Last night I was looking at the medicated chick start food my girls have and it seemed pretty chunky compared to the chick food they were getting at the feedstore...sooo I popped some (1 cup full) in my coffee grinder and ground it up some....

...then I took two small tea bag saucers (teeny saucers that are for placing your tea bag on when you pull it out of your cup) and put the more ground up powdery chick starter on there (about a two table spoons per saucer)

...both girls investigated and then started pecking away like they've never had anything to eat before...and eventually they both were sitting in their saucers and kicking back so a lot of the food went onto the shavings...but they looked like they were 'scratching' and having a good time...

...they both pecked at their normal food as well...between their escapades with the ground up food...and drank some water...

...is all this OK, GOOD, BAD????

Was the 'scratching' like motion, them really doing what adult chickens do when they 'scratch' at the ground?

Could they be giving themselves a 'dust bath' in it?

What are your thoughts on their Chick Starter food being so chunky? is that OK, or should I be grounding up more for them?

Thanks for all your imput on other threads and this one too!!! You guys are GREAT!!!!!!!!! a great resource and just friendly personalities!!!

 

[m2wandc]

no reply?

Just want to make sure I'm not doing the chicks any harm by grounding up their starter food...???

 

[Maidservant]

You won't hurt them by grinding up their food.

They were probably trying to take a dust bath in the saucer, especially if the food was ground to dust.

It sounds to me like you have two spoiled rotten little girls!

Emily in NC

 

[DiVon80]

Quote:
I agree!!

 

[Wynette]

The regular food is probably just fine for them, but griding it up a bit isn't a bad thing to do. Typically, when they dust bath, they lie down and kick shavings up and flap their wings, causing the shavings to land on their backs. I always think it's a sign of a happy chicken when I see it!

(give folks awhile to reply to your posts...we have thousands of members with thousands of posts each day...thanks!

)

 

[briteday]

I found our chick starter was a little chunky too, especially for day old chicks. I throw it in the food processor and let it run for about one minute. It left some chunky but most ofit was ground finer. The second week I only ground it for 20 seconds, and now they prefer it just the way it comes out of the bag. And even when I was grinding it I would still sprinkle stuff right out of the bag in their bedding so they have some fun scratching to keep them occupied and happy.

 

[m2wandc]

I hope they are spoiled...

I did this yesterday and got nervous in hind sight (first time mom syndrome) so I was a bit antsy to hear if it was AOK...sorry for the 'urgent hopefulness'

 

[m2wandc]

Quote:
I thought of putting some on the bottom for them to 'find' and entertain them...but then I kept hearing about them eatting the shavings and thought again about it...what do you thinK???

I'd like to give them stuff to 'forage' for

 

[Eggie and Me]

Quote:
Emily in NC

I agree!!

Our girls took their first "dust bath" at 5 days old...

At first I thought one was having some kind of seizure

and then she jumped up and did it again

.. The others all watched in awe and then wanted to eat the starter food that she was covered in...

Sure sounds like your babies are spoiled - - - - lucky them

We grind up oat meal so that it's fine like their feed store chick food, but have found the regular starter food just fine...