Chicks and first treats

[packmomma]

So I went and did it..I cooked up an egg and gave it to them. I cant believe how funny it was!

At first they were like..what is this?

Then some ate but didnt seem to like it

Then one chick said YUMMY THIS IS MINE

and took off running around the box!

All of a sudden they all started chasing her and trying to take it away, then another one found a piece and it all started all over again. It was so funny.

I put some bugs in there on another day and just sat down to watch laughing my butt off!

I have a quick question too. My chicks are a week old, I thought about changing over to sawdust but if I give treats then they will eat the sawdust and get pastybutt. How do you all deal with this?

 

[SoJoChickens]

I do not like using sawdust (creates too much dust in the pen). I would use pine pellets (like they make for horse stalls). Chicks don't eat it and it absorbs everything. Pine shavings are common as well but I've heard some say that chicks can get impacted with shavings.

 

[Wynette]

I've always used pine shavings with my chicks after the first 3-4 days (I use puppy training pads before shavings), without issue. Yes, they will peck at the shavings a bit, but they don't "eat" them. My little ones love to dust bathe in the shavings, which is one of the reasons I don't use pelleted bedding, although that works just fine. I like the softness of shavings for my little ones.

Please make sure you provide chick grit if you are giving your little ones anything other than starter feed. Enjoy your fuzz-butts!

 

[Schroeder]

I started with paper towels the first week. I switched to the pine pellets at week two based on a suggestion from someone on this forum. I really like the pellets and highly recommend them. The chicks seem to like them and there is no odor after 10 days.

 

[packmomma]

Opps I meant pine shavings..lol. Well I am still using paper towel but am about to go buy stock in it..lol. I really like it because I can simulate the outdoors.. Every other day I go outside to our "pit" this is a huge hole in the ground about 5-6 feet wide that is where my kids are aloud to dig as much as they want. Our land is all sand with about 2 feet of top soil. Needless to say there is plenty of sand.. so usually I grab a handful of sand, about a handful of dirt I've scrapped from under rocks, some worms, and then pull some long grass.. I put in clean paper towels and then spread this around all mixed together to make an "outdoors" indoors. They love scratching around and dust bathing in the dirt plus they look for worms. They love it so much and it will be at least another month before its warm enough to go outdoors for real. I'm just not sure how I can pull this off with the pine shavings.

P.s I make dirty eggs..lol. I am having the same trouble finding grit as another member here. I keep looking though when I can.

 

[bethandjoeync]

these wood shavings are putting out a lot of dust when they really get to running around, I am considering switching to something else once this bag is done.
but as far as the pasty butt, I have only had one problem(with 2 different chicks) and that was the day after I brought them home from TSC. mine peck at the shavings looking for dropped treats, or food and I haven't had a problem since.