Chicks bored with chick starter/grower feed?

[blmack]

My six week old chicks are doing very well. I've had them on the starter/grower (available night and day) but have been giving them treats of a few handfuls of whole grain rolled oats. Not the quick or instant kind. They come racing over to the gate when they see me coming because they love it so much. Will it spoil them so that they don't want their crumbles anymore? I was planning to keep them on the recommended diet. I want them healthy but happy too! BTW there are 12 of them. I was also wondering if I can give them wild bird feed as a treat? These are the first chickens I have ever had and by now at only 6 weeks old they look like miniature adult chickens (almost). Maybe that is making me unsure because they don't look like babies anymore. Thanks everyone!

 

[WI FarmChick]

I was also wondering if I can give them wild bird feed as a treat? I do use wild bird seed in my feed recipe. I don't see any problems with it...except I do use the kind for "Finch" Because it has no sunflower seeds with their shells on also the seed is small and it is mostly millet. I bought scott pet wild finch mix 10lb (good mix of seed) at TSC. Make sure you have grit too.

Congrats on becoming a chicken mom.

 

[blmack]

Thanks! I am really enjoying my chickie babies. So about the sunflower seeds, they can't crack the shell and take the seed out like other birds do? Also I have my chicks outside in a nice sized run. Do they get enough grit that way?

 

[WI FarmChick]

No, they won't be able to get them out of the shell. Buy wild bird seed. Either just the sunflower meat pieces or the millet mixed finch seed. It also has the hulled (shell less) sunflower meats in it.
Don't buy the bird seed you can't see through the bag you really don't know what you are getting.

I personally offer grit to my chickens. I feel better knowing If they need some they know where to get it.
Mine are 9 weeks old and they still stick pretty close to the coop. I don't feel they are getting out and around enough to find grit that way.

 

[blmack]

Thanks, I think I'll let my grandkids pick out the sunflower seeds and save them for the cardinals. That should make everyone happy!