Baby chicks and snacks?

[chickengeorgeto]

The one thing I took away from all the New Age methods of feeding chicks in this thread is "Do it natural." In that vein I wish to remind both sides in this argument that raw, unprocessed, beef .... uh byproduct is perhaps the most favored food of chickens the world over. In other words, I don't think some of you have been around many chickens.

Many is the time on a hot Summers day that I have watched a mother hen drag 12-15 fuzzy baby chicks from one end of a cow pasture to the other, while she keeps a close watch on the backsides of the cows grazing in front of her. Then when a cow first begins to raise her tail the hen goes into a fit of excitement and rushes over just as the cow begins delivering a steaming pile of fresh green excrement at the mother hen's feet. Next she and her tiny brood rush headlong into this hot, sticky, Smorgasbord and she begins picking out the most choice bits and morsels for her brood before the Sun hardens them.

Not only are chickens little bitty meat eating dinosaurs, but chickens are the standard against which Mother Nature classifies all food. This is not complicated, first Mother Nature offers the substance to a chicken, and if a chicken will eat it, Mother Nature labels it "FOOD"

 

[Michael Apple]

The one thing I took away from all the New Age methods of feeding chicks in this thread is "Do it natural." In that vein I wish to remind both sides in this argument that raw, unprocessed, beef .... uh byproduct is perhaps the most favored food of chickens the world over. In other words, I don't think some of you have been around many chickens.

Many is the time on a hot Summers day that I have watched a mother hen drag 12-15 fuzzy baby chicks from one end of a cow pasture to the other, while she keeps a close watch on the backsides of the cows grazing in front of her. Then when a cow first begins to raise her tail the hen goes into a fit of excitement and rushes over just as the cow begins delivering a steaming pile of fresh green excrement at the mother hen's feet. Next she and her tiny brood rush headlong into this hot, sticky, Smorgasbord and she begins picking out the most choice bits and morsels for her brood before the Sun hardens them.

Not only are chickens little bitty meat eating dinosaurs, but chickens are the standard against which Mother Nature classifies all food. This is not complicated, first Mother Nature offers the substance to a chicken, and if a chicken will eat it, Mother Nature labels it "FOOD"

Point taken. Don't forget though, chicks coming from hatcheries are raised in a controlled environment compared to chicks hatched in the outside environment. Taking on the responsibility of raising chicks without their mother means we do what we can to prevent losses, while the unforgiving environment of nature does not. Adult chickens are tough creatures and know how to watch over their chicks. Adult chickens cannot stop diseases. They do not give them milk, yogurt, or processed meats containing high levels of sodium. Resistance to internal parasites differs in the wild compared to controlled environments. Their immune systems are different being raised outside compared to those raised in a home brooder. When I was younger, I allowed a hen to hatch out and raise her chicks. These particular chicks all died, and eventually their mother, from Mareks disease. So the reality is we either let nature dictate loss, or we try to prevent losses.

 

[birdgirl1975]

I have been giving my chicks (they are about 5 days old) the "waste" from our carrot juicing. They love it! They came from murray mcmurray. They seem ok... This is probably ok for them right? I ordered 26 and have lost six since i got them on tuesday. I wanted to keep the remaining 20 strong and healthy. They're organic carrots. ;-)

 

[Michael Apple]

I have been giving my chicks (they are about 5 days old) the "waste" from our carrot juicing. They love it! They came from murray mcmurray. They seem ok... This is probably ok for them right? I ordered 26 and have lost six since i got them on tuesday. I wanted to keep the remaining 20 strong and healthy. They're organic carrots. ;-)

Carrots are a good blood sugar regulator and have some good vitamins beneficial to chicks like A,C,D,E,K,B6 & B1. One problem is they tend to be pretty high in sodium and calcium content. Chicks need to have limited calcium to prevent kidney damage. That's why starter generally has .08-1% calcium content and .3% sodium. Just something to consider. I don't think a few pinches a week of fine carrot pulp will compromise their health though. Make sure they get a sprinkle of chick grit in their starter.

 

[birdgirl1975]

I have been giving my chicks (they are about 5 days old) the "waste" from our carrot juicing. They love it! They came from murray mcmurray. They seem ok... This is probably ok for them right? I ordered 26 and have lost six since i got them on tuesday. I wanted to keep the remaining 20 strong and healthy. They're organic carrots. ;-)

 

[birdgirl1975]

Sorry for the multiple posts. noob.

 

[BluesChicken]

I let my 4 try a few mealworms just now. SCORE!!!

 

[ailron]

I have started giving my chicks boiled egg in moderation. They love it and there has been no more pasty butt! They all seem really healthy too!

 

[jctid]

If we are supposed to be limiting calcium intake, are greens ok? Like lettuce for example….ok for them to have as a TREAT?

 

[Bellatrixed]

I have been giving my chicks half of a hard boiled egg a day. Considering that one half an egg is spread across 22 chicks, they each are only getting a tiny bit of the egg and they love to run around with it. They also enjoy getting raw oats as a treat. They like cooked oatmeal, too, but I've only given it once when I had too much extra (without any sugar or anything added, of course).