can 11 day old chicks

[mamadukes5]

eat anything besides chick food? I was taking my bigger hens and my roo their regular daily vegetables, and wondered if the babies can have any? I feed the big girls kale and cabbage and tomatoes and whatever vegetables I can get my hands on, so can the babies eat any of this or are they too young? Won't give them anything until I hear that it's okay, but chick food must get boring so thought I'd ask. Thanks in advance.

 

[Darklingstorm]

I'm not sure what they can eat but I've been letting my chicks free range since they were fully feathered (around 4 weeks). They eat everything the big girls eat except the feed, since the big girls are on layer feed and that is very harmful to them. And all my chicks are very healthy and happy.


These are things that not even adult chickens are not supposed to eat.

Raw green potato peels
Anything real salty
Citrus
Dried or undercooked beans
Avacodo Skins and Pit
Raw eggs
Candy, Chocolate, sugar

 

[mother o' chicks72]

the little ones can have hard boiled eggs. other than that im not sure.

 

[rpchris]

At that age, mine liked cooked white rice, ground flax seeds, corn meal, and wheat germ.

 

[billfields]

Quote:
If you think about it, left to her own doings a momma hen has been leading them around for most of those 11 days. They would have eaten bugs, seeds, greens---whatever the hen found for them. And they have been eating it off the ground so they have some dirt and small stones along with it--natural grit. So yes, they can. Just make sure it's small enough for them and when you start give them access to some chick grit---or dirt. Along with the chick starter I gave mine boiled eggs, chopped up lettuce and clover and cooked spaghetti as a treat from about day three on.....substitute for the bugs, weeds and worms their mom would have found for them

 

[mamadukes5]

thanks everyone for all the answers. I just didnt want to give them anything that would upset their tiny bellies. So in the morning when I do the chopping for the dogs and the big girls outside, I'll just chop some smaller for the little ones. I'm sure they'll be happy to get something different. Thanks again.

 

[Chocobo]

Lots of different opinions on this subject but the two things universally agreed to be ok seem to be finely chopped or mashed hard boiled egg and plain yogurt.
This is what I gave mine. The first time they see new food they may not eat right away but after a few days when I brought either out you'd think I never fed them before.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

I've also taken the approach that in nature they would have been exposed to all kinds of different food. So from day 4 or so I've been giving them access to chick grit and been feeding them (not all at the same time!):
1. hard boiled egg with cooked oats -- they wouldn't touch it.
2. sprouts -- they love it, but not at first. It was an acquired taste, and I needed to chop it up some more.
3. mealworms -- need I say more?
4. stinkbugs -- these they figured out by themselves from day 7 or so. Now they catch them and have a ball chasing each other with them. There are so many in the coop that I cannot limit their access to it, but it doesn't seem to harm them.
5. uncooked rolled oats -- reluctant at first but this morning the saucer that had the oats was empty so i guess they decided they liked it.
6. cucumber -- wouldn't touch it. Maybe it was too cold (from the fridge) or not chopped small enough but after a couple of hours I took it out as it was becoming very mushy by them walking on it and standing in it rather than eating it.

I will try hard boiled egg again by itself to see if they like it. I also give them a small handful of hen-treat (mixed grains with some dried veggies, I think) that I scatter on the bedding so that they have something to scratch for. Tonight I will try some clover that is trying to take over the world, starting at our yard. It'd be great if I could feed that to them in any larger quantities next year to help control it.

So far they are healthy, active and very curious to discover what I have in my hands the next time I come into the coop. To the point that they jump on my hands even if I am not holding any food.