Chick Enrichment?

[ChxLadyMary]

I got my chicks yesterday making them three days old. Does anyone have any enrichment ideas or treat ideas? For now or the future. Thanks!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I've seen folks use a marker to put black dots on the side of their enclosure for them to peck out. My peeps enjoyed a miniature roost I put in for them. You can build a small swing. They'll find ways to entertain themselves too. I had peeps that used to pick up a piece of pine shaving and run around the enclosure and the others chased to try to get the pine shaving. I always assumed that was a game played to help establish pecking order. In the early days they will mostly just sleep eat and poop.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Probably not one you are expecting. I give my chicks dirt from the main run where my adults are starting around Day 2 or 3 in the brooder. This gets grit in their system, gives them probiotics the adults have, and gets them started on flock immunities. You probably don't have any adults so you won't get the probiotics benefits but there might be something in your soil they need to work on immunities against.

Instead of trying to raise mine in a sterile environment and then tossing them into the real world unprepared I start to strengthen their immune system as young as possible. The main thing I'm thinking of for you is Coccidiosis, that bug may be in your soil. If you keep your brooder dry the chances of it becoming a problem are pretty slight and after eating that dirt for two or three weeks they develop an immunity to that strain of Coccidiosis. When they hit the ground they don't get sick from Cocci, they already have immunity.

 

[sirromyesdnil]

We put sticks in their brooder and put them out in their coop during the day after their bodies feathered. We try to play with them each day and I have some honeysuckle, they seem to really love.

 

[Percheron chick]

X2 dirt.
Hours of productive entertainment.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I just give them a small branch to perch on. They seem to enjoy that. They’re too young for treats. They need to get their vitamins and protein requirements from a good quality chick starter.

 

[kana9]

My chicks are now a week old, and have liked the hanging mirror from the beginning. They peck at the little beads attached to it. I gave them the Baby Cake treat log yesterday, and am only giving it to them for an hour at a time twice a day so they still eat their starter food. They like to run through the holes and perch on the lower rods of the "play structure" my husband made for them (based on a picture of one I saw for sale online). I also attached some bird toys from the wire "window" of my stock tank brooder.