Feedback on Learning Center "Treats Chart"

[KierBri]

in the summer, first thing in the morning, i take a bucket of clean water to my rosebushes, shake off any japenese beetle into the bucket, then put the bucket in front of the girls. they dive for em! they also get catapiler tents from the fruit trees.
stacylynn

 

[buffy-chickchick]

Unless i missed it, somewhere i read that rabbit pellets can be fed to chickens safely. The pellets are made from alfalfa, can anyone respond to this?

I think it sounds okay...in moderation of course, but please let me know.

 

[Littleducky]

Does the same apply for Ducks when it comes to the foods on your list? Just looking for some suggestions for my new little ones.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Littleducky, the Treats Chart is just for chickens. I don't know a blessed thing about feeding ducks. My ONLY experience with ducks is that they ate earthworms I tossed them.

Try PM-ing Terrie Lacy - she's a duck brain like you (or do a search, something like "feeding ducks" or "treats for ducks").

 

[eggzettera]

Quote:

The most important thing is to provide grit so they can probably digest.




Isn't there grit mixed in the chick starter? I saw "chick grit" but was told I didn't need it.

Setter 4

Yup there is some in the starter feed but from the way I understand it is that the grit helps digest/grind the food, so there is probably enough in the starter feed to grind "that amount" of feed so additional feed requires additional grit.....

 

[eggzettera]

Quote:
Sounds logical may wanna pm dlhunicorn on that though. Alot of people here feed cat food for extra protein & dlhunicorn always has her 2 cents to add - not in the affirmative either, so for truly "expert" advise I would go to her - best to err on the side of caution is my thinking.

 

[Ailsa]

This may seem like a daft question but...
is there an age to start treats or can you feed them to chicks of any age. Im asking as mine are 4 days old.

 

[Sandrachx]

did you use a suet cage for the veggies? how does that work with a multitude of chickens? i have 8 standards and have been dropping treats around the yard to avoid one chicken hogging everything and to help the youngsters get treats. it has, however, become a game of keep-away when they grab and run to all corners of the pen with a morsel.

 

[alalele]

I am also wondering what if there is an AGE that is too young for giving treats? Mine are on "start and grow" chick feed (name something like that) and there is sand with small pebbles on the ground in their run, as well as untreated pine shavings.

I've worried that when they drop a treat and eat it coated with pine shavings if that would hurt them? Could it cause 'sour crop'? Also, if they need something more than they are getting to digest (like grit) the treats, or can they eat the sand and small pebbles in place of store bought grit? I'd read that young birds don't NEED grit yet. Things like sunflower seeds or hard seeds, even corn seem scary to me, and haven't tried any of that yet. I have wheatberries (we eat them cooked) and don't know if they can be fed them yet and do they eat them uncooked? Do they eat oatmeal dry? Can I give them the bugs that have fallen into a tray from the bug zapper? There is an Octanol attractant on the zapper that reads that it is toxic. It is supposed to attract mosquitos and heard that it is basically "cow's breath" so not sure why it is toxic and if the bugs can absorb any of the octanol just from proximity? What bugs do they eat besides flys? I know they love to eat flys that I've swatted, but it seems kind of gross.

Mine are near 2 months now. I've noticed that when I've introduced my chicas to a new treat, they are VERY skeptical. They DO associate me with treats or food by now and come running when I approach to the point I feel like I need to bring them a treat every time! They are training ME! lol!!

I've not gotten too adventurous yet with feeding them, because I thought they might be too young and they, as I mentioned, seem skeptical, so have stuck with a few tried and true treats so far....

They have LIKED; ground flax seed, grapes, cottage cheese

They didn't like; yogurt, oranges, sweet baby greens (lettuce), dry cat food (now see they aren't good on the treat list... great list btw, now I have some new treats to try for them! thanks for putting it together!)

On a hot day I put cool water in a wading pool (they were panting and wings out) and floated some manderin orange slices in the pool and they must have eaten them, because they were gone later, even though they didn't like oranges.

Again thanks for the list compilation, I'm looking forward to trying some new treats! It is fun feeding them, it's like I'm their best friend when I come bearing FOOD

 

[dlhunicorn]

Quote:
If you are feeding a commercial feed and free ranging do NOT give anything like this to your birds...tooo much fiber which (without going into detail) can be devastating for the birds health.

re grit >>>> grit is necessary for when birds free range or get food /scratch/grains outside their normal commercial (pelleted ) feed. Chicks do not need this when on a chick starter unless they are free ranging... chick grit is sold to ensure an easily available grit of the proper size which is not always available on pasture.

@ Atalele:

....They have LIKED; ground flax seed, grapes, cottage cheese

I strongly urge you not to give ground flax seed to your chickies

> grape seeds are toxic

>>watch the salt content in cottage cheese > this is too much usually for chicks and will cause wet droppings and possible dehydration because of that (not something you wnat in say hot weather)

>>> yogurt is what you want your chickies to get used to... you can offer a live culture yogurt day one of hatch​