Baby Chick Questions.......

[danielle2003]

I keep a mealworm farm, with worms of all different sizes, from 1/8 inch- to 1 inch. Is it safe to give my baby chicks mealworms, if they are small enough to digest? They are about 4 days old. Is that too early of an age for them to have so much protein?
Another thing, do they need grit at this age? I have oyster shells for my adult hens, but they are too big to swallow for the chicks. I can grind them down, if they need it. Thanks!

 

[nuthatched]

I would think the chicks are a tad young yet, I'd wait a few weeks. I sometimes give baby chicks a treat of cooked quinoa, they go crazy over it. Grit isn't necessary if they are just eating chick food and grit isn't ground oyster shell, it's granite. Don't give the chicks extra calcium like that, it could charm them.

 

[danielle2003]

I would think the chicks are a tad young yet, I'd wait a few weeks. I sometimes give baby chicks a treat of cooked quinoa, they go crazy over it. Grit isn't necessary if they are just eating chick food and grit isn't ground oyster shell, it's granite. Don't give the chicks extra calcium like that, it could charm them.

Thanks for replying! What age would be best to start giving them grit?

 

[nuthatched]

Thanks for replying! What age would be best to start giving them grit?

You're welcome, If they have access to dirt, like when you start taking them outside or in the run, they don't really need it. They pick up stuff from the ground.