Can you feed chicks live mealworms

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

I am getting Silkie chicks and was wondering would mealworms be a healthy snack or should I
give them something else instead I have mealworms for my lizard so I could just give them to the chicks but I don't want to hurt them

 

[junebuggena]

Chicks are often wary of new food items. When I've given my chicks dried mealworms, they just sit in the dish for days. The chicks had no interest in them. When I give live mealworms to chicks, it's a different story. The wriggling entices their curiosity and it's not long before they are playing tug of war with the worms.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

I think they'd be ok as long as they have grit and you're not making it their main food source. Mealworms are a treat and shouldn't be anything more than that. ESPECIALLY for chicks since their bodies are still developing.

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

Thanks so much I will only give them a few

 

[treslilbirds]

Thanks so much I will only give them a few

Oh make sure you have your video camera ready. There’s nothing cuter than a bunch of chicks playing mealworm football for the first time. They remind me of little quarterbacks doing the end zone dance!

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

Ok I will, they don't hatch for another week but when they do I will

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

I got them I will post a video this afternoon

 

[azygous]

Live meal worms are wonderful entertainment for chicks as well as their humans, but a word of caution - moderation.

Last spring, I had just two baby chicks, and I overdid the meal worms one day entertaining some visitors with the chicks' excited reaction to the worms. Later that day, one chick became sick. Her eyes were red-rimmed and she was lethargic. I felt her crop and it was full and hard.

After dosing her with coconut oil and massaging her crop, she later pooped a humongous turd, and she felt much better.

Even though my chicks had access to plenty of grit, overdoing the treat had led to crop impaction. So, try not to be tempted to go beyond just a few meal worms at a time with very young chicks.

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

Oh I'm sorry and thanks

 

[aart]

Even though my chicks had access to plenty of grit, overdoing the treat had led to crop impaction. So, try not to be tempted to go beyond just a few meal worms at a time with very young chicks.

Very good point.....because the grit resides in the gizzard and they still need to get it down-stream from crop to gizzard.