Cracked Corn as Treat for 10 day old Chicks?

[sarasmith97]

I was thinking about throwing about 2 tablespoons of cracked corn in the brooder for my 2 bantam chicks. If I do this do I need to put any grit in there too? Just curious? I want to give the wee ones a lil treat.

 

[AKsmama]

Yes, they need chick grit (not the stuff for parakeets and other caged birds, too much calcium) if you're going to give them corn or anything other than their starter food or scrambled eggs. Some people are going to tell you not to give any treats at all for a few weeks, but I know how hard it is to resist! 2 tablespoons might be a lot for 2 little bantams, though. Maybe divide up one tablespoon and see how they do. They might be afraid of it at first!

 

[Red&Yellow]

I wouldn't do it, but yes, if you give them that grit grit grit!

 

[Katy]

A little bit of uncooked oatmeal would be a better treat for them....and yes you'll need to give them some grit.

 

[sarasmith97]

Quote:
Thanks for that tip, I have a big tub of Quaker oats. I need to pick up some chick grit today then.

 

[columbiacritter]

I start them on grit and/or contruction sand at 3 days and soft easily digestable treats soon after. Doing that I've only had one chick with pasty butt issues in 6 yrs.

 

[RichardR]

My baby chicks absolutely love (cooked) "sticky rice" as their treat, I only give them a small palm full (about a quarter cup worth split between 6 chicks) at a time though.

 

[galanie]

I ended up giving mine cornmeal mixed with sand at first. They loved it and it gave them grit so I could then give them better treats. I know now that the sand doesn't need to be mixed with anything but they loved it so it's all good.

 

[f8thnjc]

Be careful of how much corn you give them. My neighbor killed a lot of his birds because he unknowingly gave them too much corn. I am not sure of the proper amount.

 

[FMAFarms]

Be sure to offer them grit first. "Chick Grit" is the commercially packaged kind available, and it's perfect for little chicks, especially bantams.

Seeing that yours are 10 day olds, and bantams at that, I would avoid cracked corn. Through experience with my birds, I've seen that the chicks aren't able to really handle hard lumps like that until they are about 3 weeks of age, with grit having been introduced prior to that, and even then it wasn't all that successful. And those were my standards! My current flock of bantams (Silkies, Dutch Booted, Seabright, and Old English) have only just started handling full-sized meal worms and that's at 2 weeks of age. Before, I had to break the mealworms up or crumble them for the chicks. If you want to give your bantams a treat, try finely minced apple, crunched up mealworms (they really, really love mealworms), or finely minced tomato. Avoid the cracked corn until they are much older. They'll love it as full-grown birds.