feeding baby chicks

[danisull]

We're feeding our 3 day old chicks cockatiel food - it was the most similar thing our pet store had to the chick feed we got when we took them. We won't have chick feed until it comes in the mail in about a week, will the chicks be ok?

 

[elmo]

I wouldn't be giving them that. They won't be able to digest the seeds without grit.

Your best bet is to hardboil some eggs, let them cool, peel them, discard the shells, and mash up the egg really fine and feed that to the chicks. Remove any egg that is left over after about a half hour (if there is any left over) because it will spoil. You can also feed oatmeal, but I don't remember the directions. Do a search here for specifics.

Is there no feedstore at all in your area that you could pick up chick feed locally? Nutrition is very important in the first week of a chick's life.

 

[True Grit]

I'm pretty new, I've only had my chicks 2.5 wks but I would suggest giving them some sand to help them digest the food.
2 collies, 1 jrt, 5EEs and the Great DH

 

[elmo]

Sand usually isn't coarse enough to act as grit, unless it's the kind that has lots of pebbles and gravel mixed in with it.