can i give my 6 week old chicks a treat?

[jazzyfrizzle]

can i feed my 6week old chicks a treat, they feed on chick crumb but would like to give them a little treat not sure when is best to start this?

 

[mljohnson05]

yes you can....i started mine on treats at 1 week of age.

You can start off with plain yogurt (one with natural live cultures in it)

they can also have a mash of scrambled eggs.

On HOT days I give I take yogurt and fresh fruit...them puree it and freeze it...them give that to them too.

watermelon , fresh fruit, frozen greens, raisins, oatmeal.....

Just to name a few...

Best Wishes,
Laura

Oh...and

from Missouri and

 

[jazzyfrizzle]

thank you laura
as you can tell i am new to all this i had chickens as a pet when i was very small but now grown up and have my owm family thought it was a good idea for them to have them too, just couldnt remember what i ever gave them as a treat.
thanks again sam

 

[mljohnson05]

Quote:
No problem....a lot of things that we eat can be given to chickens, just remember MODERATION....and to try and give them things that are healthy for them......also remember that if you are feeding them things other than crumbles, that you want to have GRIT out too (to help them break down the new food).... If you have sand or little gravel in your run (that will act as great grit )

Best Wishes,
Laura

 

[otowner98]

I've been giving my chickens the ugly and partially eaten (cat can't catch chipmunks?!?) strawberries we don't want, which they love. Their favorite treat is on weekends when the neighbors city-kid grandkids come by and collect every worm they can find and watch the girls have a powderpuff football game with them! Good times.

 

[kathleen521]

I've been giving my peeps random kitchen scraps since about a week old, chopped very tiny. Things like broccoli, green bean ends, strawberry greens, black beans, and then the ants that came into my bathroom thru a wee hole in the wall. (they were about 3 weeks when the ants started coming. And boy would they fight for 'em!)

 

[lauriej57]

Don't be surprised if they don't want the treats.

My chicks were never interested in any kind of treat until they were almost grown size. I've had 2 successful broody raised hatches now, and mam gives them treat almost from day number one. Throw a blueberry in, and she will pick it up, chew it up, spit it out and call her chicks to it. Or any other treat I throw in there.

Hand raised chicks don't have anyone to show them what to do with it, so i believe strange food somewhat scares them, they just dont' know what to do with it, but once they catch on, they'll gobble it up.

 

[mauigirl]

I also start treats when 2 weeks old (or so) ONLY with hand feeding , they must climb on my palm to get at the food. Then i make my imprint sound which is a clicking with the bottom of my tongue. Clicking will be associated with goodies and human contact, for the rest of their lives. I can click (or cluck i suppose) in a 100x100 tent show situation and all my birds will lift their heads to look for me. I continue this every day with all chicks (caught myself sunday feeding a human baby the same way

)

Like the others have said, treats are treats. Main food should still be your choice of chick feed. I feed baby medicated mash/flax seed/ground dried kelp for 4 weeks, then add something new every week or so. At 6 weeks start adding super chick in slow amounts to baby feed, add a bit more every day till weaned off mash. I chew corn off the cobb

and feed that till they can figure how to get the kernnel off the cob themselves.

Regarding corn, I usually buy from farmers market, but last week had to give costco corn- THEY WOULDNT TOUCH IT TILL I SCRUBBED IT CLEAN - dont know what that was about, even the older hens wouldnt touch it......

Similar to a human baby start with fruit, then veggies, then meats (yes i feed leftover turkey breast, chicken breast - no gravy or stuff on it) They LUV mango, overripe papaya, watermelon, apple (start apple first its really good if your birds will eat apple, later if they are ever sick - apple may be a staple remedy)

You'll be certified addicted to chickens soon enough.

mahalo from Maui

 

[newchicks8]

Are dried mealworms ok to feed them?

 

[newchicks8]

Are dried mealworms ok to feed them?