Day olds...food problem

[Bonni]

Hi All,

I managed to rookie my way through a hatch - started as the kids' science experiment with the hopes that any live hatchies would return to the farm to boost the laying flock.

I have 3 chicks who are officially 24hrs old and they're doing really well. They've just started pecking their way around their incubator in the last couple of hours and I'm worried they're hungry. The original plan was to deliver them to their new home, but I can't get in touch with the people. I really want to prevent any problems since they're doing so well.

Will they be ok for a while longer with no food? I've got a teeny tiny VERY shallow dish of water in there for them. Is there anything I can feed them that I might have here at the house?

Thanks....I'm a total city girl working on 2 nights of no sleep. Love the chickies though

B

 

[yinepu]

they can last for a few days without food.. but I prefer to get food into them as soon as they are pecking.. since you don't have any chick starter.. you can crumble up some hard boiled egg yolk for them to munch on til they get to their new home

 

[Bonni]

Thanks so much!

Hard boiled eggs in the works. I won't think about that too much.

Cheers,

B

 

[Bonni]

Another quick question...I have quick oats, oat bran cereal (instant & regular) as well as a variety of rices. I wonder if I should coarsely grind a bit of one of those and offer it?

...the Internet can sometimes be a sourse of TOO MUCH information

-B

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
since they are just hatched.. i would go with just the egg yolk for now.. it will be more nutritionally complete than the others

 

[Judy]

I'd give them most anything I'd eat, if the size and consistency seemed right, and if it seemed like a balanced meal. The grains you mentioned are fine. Maybe mash in a bit of last night's leftover veggies or a bit of a fruit. Kinda like feeding a baby when you run out of baby food. Keep in mind that birds are lactose intolerant, though.

 

[Bonni]

You guys are awesome! Thanks so much!! I've got lots to go on now!

I was also able to get in touch with a friend who will bring me a handful of her chick starter...but not for another 6hrs or so.

Cheers,

B

 

[leadwolf1]

Quote:
They are? Then why do I keep feeding mine yogurt...and many people give theirs milk products all the time?

 

[Judy]

Yogurt has had its lactose pretty much predigested by the organisms that made the yogurt. So has many cheeses, and kefir. Regular old milk can give them diarrhea and probably abdominal cramping, and likely interferes with digestion of other foods as well. No doubt the quantity given has something to do with the result.

This is one of those topics that will easily turn into a debate here. People who've had chickens for 40 years may tell you they give milk regularly, and their chickens are fine. I'll just say that if you google something like "lactose intolerance in chickens" (or birds, for that matter) you will find lots of info.

 

[leadwolf1]

Interesting, I think I will