Baby chicks and snacks?

[BluesChicken]

Help....my waterer is leaking. Why do the plastic twist type leak? Luckily i decided to clean them out and realized that the newspapers under the pine chips were soggy from the waterer slowly leaking. Has anyone else had this problem?

If you are using the "Chicken Nipples" you may already know that they must be pointed straight down to not leak. If they are pointed sideways they always leak.

 

[PrecioustoHim]

Gee I know this is an old thread....hopefully this will help others.....I raise a lot of baby chicks and around 2 to three weeks of age, I remove the seeds and stem of course, then I place the apple inside one of the metal sute feeders: I get mine at tractor supply for $1.35 or so. and hand it so it is against the wall of the brooder so it doesn't swing around at all. The chicks will learn how to peck at the apple inside and they love it. It also alleviates their boredom and is a healthy snack.

 

[PrecioustoHim]

Suet feeders (sp) sorry

 

[PrecioustoHim]

Well I live on a tight budget....I buys human food for myself....and yogurt is for ME

and I buys chicken food for the chickens.

I do however sprout barley, wheat and black oil sunflower seeds for them to make the seeds go a lot farther. Barley 50# sack $8.00 Wheat 50# sack $11.00 Sunflower 50# sack $16.00
Goes a really long ways when they are sprouted and the chickens love it.
I sprout mine in mason jars in the kitchen, easy peasy method, and I have 42 chickens eating the sprouts about 5 days a week

Also throughout the summer months I grow various salad greens that I chop up and give to them. WOW talk about eating them up!

 

[jdoane]

Well I live on a tight budget....I buys human food for myself....and yogurt is for ME

and I buys chicken food for the chickens.

I do however sprout barley, wheat and black oil sunflower seeds for them to make the seeds go a lot farther. Barley 50# sack $8.00 Wheat 50# sack $11.00 Sunflower 50# sack $16.00
Goes a really long ways when they are sprouted and the chickens love it.
I sprout mine in mason jars in the kitchen, easy peasy method, and I have 42 chickens eating the sprouts about 5 days a week

.

Also throughout the summer months I grow various salad greens that I chop up and give to them. WOW talk about eating them up!

Can you tell me how you sprout the seeds? I would love to do that to provide some greens throughout the winter.

 

[whittychick]

Gee I know this is an old thread....hopefully this will help others.....I raise a lot of baby chicks and around 2 to three weeks of age, I remove the seeds and stem of course, then I place the apple inside one of the metal sute feeders: I get mine at tractor supply for $1.35 or so. and hand it so it is against the wall of the brooder so it doesn't swing around at all. The chicks will learn how to peck at the apple inside and they love it. It also alleviates their boredom and is a healthy snack. e

Great idea with the suet feeders! My babies would love that!! What else would you put in it for 12 week babies?? Think it's ok to start giving full on scraps yet?

 

[PrecioustoHim]

Melon (cantaloupe) and I think some people say you can give tomato to juvenile birds, I don't see why not, adult birds love it. I wouldn't give them too much though lots of acid.
Anything with moisture in it that chickens can eat would be good

 

[coop-er]

Melon (cantaloupe) and I think some people say you can give tomato to juvenile birds, I don't see why not, adult birds love it. I wouldn't give them too much though lots of acid.
Anything with moisture in it that chickens can eat would be good

My chicks loved watermelon and tomato, their current favorite..pears. They never cared much for salad greens however

 

[PrecioustoHim]

It is soooo easy. I searched and searched for the best method before deciding on using something I had on hand....Quart Mason jars. I thought....'Why spend any more money than I need to when i already have the jars?'
It is so easy too. You buy your barley seed, wheat seed and black oil sunflower, whole corn works too (there were a few kernels mixed in the bag of barley by mistake and they sprouted) i will buy some corn soon too!

I put a little less than 1/4 C. of each seed in the mason jars, (they will swell as they soak up water and sprout so you want to leave room) I started with 3 jars, how much you make depends on how many birds you have to feed. You will learn by trial and error.

I use a sieve that I bought in a pack of 4 at Walmart for less than $2.00 and it works great for rinsing the seeds.

Once you have your seeds measured into your jars, take each jar and dump it into your sieve and rinse with tepid water until the dust is gone and the water is clear. Put the seeds back into the jar and fill with tepid water about 2 inches above the seeds(they need to soak overnight now).
I find it easy to scoop the seeds out of the sieve with a 1/4 measuring cup to get them back into the mason jar.
Rinse each jar of seeds.
Let soak overnight, keeping them covered with a (thin) dishtowel allowing them to breathe but keeping them out of light.
Rinse again the next morning and instead of covering with water again, drain the water out and cover the jars with a dishtowel blocking out light but allowing a little air in so as to let the seeds breathe a bit.
Several times a day, shake the seeds in the jar gently to move them around so they don't get too bunched up and in about 2 or 3 days you will see them sprouting like mad.

I waited until day 4 to feed them.
I will post pictures as soon as I can get my computer to cooperate with my sandisk.

 

[PrecioustoHim]

Oooo yes watermelon....great idea. I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan....it is not in season around here.