First time Chick Mom (picture) and a Question!

[Kristen616]

Hi all! I am new here and have found this website/forum very helpful when I was researching info about raising chickens over the winter. My husband and I (and our twin toddlers!) are first timers with chickens! We finally took the plunge and got 2 rhode island reds, 2 barred rocks and 2 gold laced wyandottes from our local farm store. The rhode islands and barred rocks are a week older than the wyandottes, but all 6 are getting along wonderfully! They are all very active and healthy!

My question is: can I give them a clump of grass/dirt from our yard? The older ones are a week old and the babies we just got yesterday (so a day or two old?!). I feel like they would enjoy pecking at the dirt a bit, although I can't imagine there's much nutritional value since the snow is just starting to melt. Would i have to start adding grit to their diet if I did this?

Thank you!!!

 

[BarredRockGirls]

yep sure go ahead . the babies will love it . i dumped a full bucket of dirt in my brooder once and my babes went GAGA. they scratch at it peck at it . eat it . and funniest of all - dust bathe in it . very amusing really

 

[QuietPony]

I'm new too! I thought I remembered learning somewhere in here not to give them longer blades of grass until they are like 4 weeks old or it can cause things to get stopped up in the crop. I wasn't planning on giving mine any until they get a chance to run around outside in the little tractor in a few weeks. Too keep them occupied until then, I have a thin dusting of PDZ in the shavings and whenever I change water bottles, I shake a bit of starter crumbles on the top of the pine, which they pick at and they start scratching at the shavings. They seem content in playing with that so far. Or at least I am having a BLAST watching them.

 

[happylittlehens]

I've read on here that you can start giving them chunks of soil to play in after they are a week old. If it were me, I would stay on the safe side and wait until your hatchlings are at least a week old.

Also, only give them dirt if you are feeding them medicated starter. This will reduce the risk of your chicks getting cocci.