Crazy newbie questions- save me!

[minaayindra]

Since I have you two very knowledgeable people, do chicks scratch and pull at their feathers as a matter of course? Like I said, this doesn't happen all the time and I'm assuming it's normal, but you know what they say about assumptions.

 

[Taj_MaChicken]

He eats like a hog and is definitely not stunted at this time... he is also already rotten. lol That's his little head on the furthest left side of my profile pic and his name is Ned. Since he is one of my most social chicks, I was hoping not to separate him from the others, even if it's only with a wire partition. I can certainly put vaseline on his rear, and I'm happy to give him banana. Would it be okay to just give them all banana? They're at this weird stage where they don't seem to be too inclined towards any treats of fruit so I don't know if they would eat it or not. With that, would he still need prune juice and canola oil by dropper? I've only lost the one chick at about 5 days old, due to a yolk sac infection, but it was horrible giving her a dropper because she fought it and sometimes she would gag like she'd aspirated it. I think that's my own PTSD from the event, probably not as stressful for chicks at all.

There's a lot of mixed reviews on giving young chicks snacks. I gave ours some, in moderation of course.

With the dropper, I would put a drop on the end of her beak and wait for her to open her mouth to get it. She absolutely hated it. And it was stressful. But maybe try the grit and vaseline for a couple days and see if he improves. Little Ned. Like Flanders? Lol

 

[minaayindra]

I tried a few blueberries- nothing except thrown around a few times. Melon? They ran around like lunatics but didn't eat it. Tiny chopped strawberry pieces? It took them half a day before they decided wiping their beaks on them might be a good idea, then began the keystone cop chases again! Ned just seemed like a great name for him. Why, I don't know- he was the first one I named, the first one who stared at me and didn't flinch if I came near him, and the first one who just seemed to be more like a little person than a chick.

 

[Taj_MaChicken]

I tried a few blueberries- nothing except thrown around a few times. Melon? They ran around like lunatics but didn't eat it. Tiny chopped strawberry pieces? It took them half a day before they decided wiping their beaks on them might be a good idea, then began the keystone cop chases again! Ned just seemed like a great name for him. Why, I don't know- he was the first one I named, the first one who stared at me and didn't flinch if I came near him, and the first one who just seemed to be more like a little person than a chick.

Mine won't eat store bought strawberries but when they forage and find the wild ones, they go nuts. They love blueberries, took them a while to get into melon, but they go crazy over watermelon. And I just tried grapes, I halved them and they liked them. Go apecrap for bananas. Mine are a lot bigger, though.

 

[minaayindra]

S

Mine won't eat store bought strawberries but when they forage and find the wild ones, they go nuts. They love blueberries, took them a while to get into melon, but they go crazy over watermelon. And I just tried grapes, I halved them and they liked them. Go apecrap for bananas. Mine are a lot bigger, though.

So I just have to hope mine love bananas as much as yours!

 

[rosemarythyme]

At 11 days, they have already doubled in size and many are trying to fly out of the brooder- I didn't see anything indicating they would grow this quickly. I'm just trying to be sure this is "normal" since I counted on keeping them in the brooder for at least 4 weeks and they are already starting to get more physically "crowded." Their ability to come to the top of the walls, already, is a concern because they are hitting their heads on the hardware cloth I put over the top of the brooder! Do I have Godzilla chicks or hyperachievers?

How large is your brooder? Healthy chicks grow amazingly fast and if you're starting with a smaller brooder you might need to double the space every couple of weeks. I only do small batches of chicks but I start at 2 sq ft per chick (which is what they'd need by 4-6 weeks or so...) but even with 2 sq ft per they'll be bouncing around like crazy.

 

[HopeSprings]

Mine won't eat store bought strawberries but when they forage and find the wild ones, they go nuts. They love blueberries, took them a while to get into melon, but they go crazy over watermelon. And I just tried grapes, I halved them and they liked them. Go apecrap for bananas. Mine are a lot bigger, though.

I won't eat store bought strawberries either! Yuck! Only from my garden -- yeah, short season, but sooo much better!
Mine will be 5weeks old this week and I've been giving them broccoli, lettuce and peas from the garden, plus they seem to enjoy baked winter squash when I cooked one up last week. My blueberry bushes are not producing enough to share, maybe next year! Cabbage and kale and green beans are coming in the next menu!

 

[minaayindra]

I won't eat store bought strawberries either! Yuck! Only from my garden -- yeah, short season, but sooo much better!
Mine will be 5weeks old this week and I've been giving them broccoli, lettuce and peas from the garden, plus they seem to enjoy baked winter squash when I cooked one up last week. My blueberry bushes are not producing enough to share, maybe next year! Cabbage and kale and green beans are coming in the next menu!

Sounds delicious for the humans as well as baby chickens!