feeding my baby chicks!

[glastonbury]

i just got my baby chicks today, yay!

i feel like i know most of the basics about how the brooder should be setup. got some wood shavings on the floor, heat lamp over head with a shaded space to the side, temp feels about right.

i was curious about feeding options. i dont have chick "feed" and dont think i'll be able to get any where i'm at for a lil while. i read in the "raising chickens" section of learning center you can crumble up hard boiled egg to feed them as well.

what other foods will work? will chopping up veggies like broccoli, cabbage, kale, carrots or fruit like grapes and apples until they're in tiny bits work as feed? i also have red wiggler worms i'm raising which are quite small, can i feed them to chicks?

thanks

 

[BantamLover21]

Congratulations on getting your first chicks!

Chick starter feed is the best thing for young chicks. It gives them all the nourishment they need in a bite-sized, easy to digest form. However, if you can't get chick starter feed for a while, there are other temporary alternatives.

Good temporary feed choices include chopped hard-boiled or scrambled egg, oatmeal, a little yogurt, chopped leafy greens, and mealworms. Regular worms are not good choices, since they can harbor parasites.

I would feed your chicks some of the above choices for now, but get chick feed as soon as possible. Good luck!

 

[glastonbury]

thanks for the reply! i've been giving them chopped hard boiled eggs and greens and are devouring it with ease. i'll be searching out some chick feed asap. do you know of any websites i can order some from?

another unrelated Q: i noticed one lil jerk pecking at another's eye and it has me concerned. is there anything i can do about this?