Good treats for baby chicks?

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Nic&Chickies :

And here I've been blindly obeying the back of the chick starter crumbles bag: "Feed as the sole ration for chicks from 0 to 8 weeks"

.
My older girls, outside, get scratch, BOSS, and occaisional kitchen treats (besides their layer feed), but I didn't think the babies were "allowed" to have treats.
Well, after reading this whole thread last night, I guess I'm gonna head to Petco for some parakeet grit-- or, better yet, check at the feed store-- where we got the seven chicks on and after "Chick

Day"-- for chick grit. Then I can boil up a couple of these 3-4 dozen eggs my big girls have given us.
Again, the Forum has taught me something. Thanks!

 

[CupOJoe42]

There is a great treat chart on this website: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

I also read that some people give moistened starter as a treat, or mix a teaspoon of yogurt with warm water and starter and give as a treat to help with pasty butt.

This is a great website - so much information!!!! So many great people willing to share their experiences!!!

 

[1badcuda]

My 5 week old chicks favorite treat is cottage cheese. They love it!

 

[epeloquin]

My chicks (3 BR and 3 RIR) are over 1 1/2 weeks old. We've been giving them oats all along and they LOVE it. I have tried H'B'd egg, s'berry and yogurt but they're not interested yet. I started them on superworms (a more nutritious type of meal worm I got at Petco and doesn't require refrigeration) and the go nutty for them. They run around with them and try to snatch them from each other. Great fun to watch. Although the mealworms probably don't think so!

When we started the mealworms I started with grit. I just picked up a lava rock like you put in for parakeets to pick at and I scrape grit off (about 1/2 tsp) and mix it with oats and give them some each morning. Eventually I will just leave grit out for them until they go outside.

On allowing them to pick through compost - I have heard that you should be careful about letting them do that because of the possibility of them eating something moldy. Unless you're very sure that your compost doesn't have any mold in it. That's just what I've heard.

We are having so much fun, our Rocks are cuddlers. Two of them especially love to sit with us and nestle close and go to sleep! Precious. I think we're going to have a very hard time putting them out in their coop!!

 

[epeloquin]

A few other things...

You do not have to cook the oats. We crumble them a bit if we're using rolled oats or use minute oats (they're just rolled oats that are shaved thinner so they cook faster).

I was told by my feed store not to give them any treats except their chick crumble until they are fully feathered. Someone in this thread put it well...if they were being raised by mama they would learn from her what and how to eat and she would eat anything she could! In fact, I have heard that supplementing their crumble with treats (especially nice fatty bugs) helps them grow quite well.

We have fun experimenting with new treats for them. Heck, they're going to spend years giving us nice eggs, they deserve treats. Besides, they're so dang cute!!

 

[epeloquin]

Quote:
Feeding chicks boiled eggs or yogurt, do they need grit to digest these foods properly ?

Clint

They don't need grit for yogurt or eggs.

 

[Lee-in-Iowa]

Quote:
Mealworms are baby "darkling beetles" and carry a bunch of chicken diseases. Don't feed your chickens this!

Here's what Ohio State says about them: http://ohioline.osu.edu/b853/b853_6.html

 

[vegetarianchick]

The only thing my 4 week olds get besides their starter/grower is organic wheatgrass that I sprout and grow for them. I read that is makes them grow bigger and when they are layer age sometimes they'll actually lay 2 eggs a day. I also read that the reason to give them only starter/grower is so they get all that protein which is what helps them form all the eggs they'll ever lay in their lifetime. Not enough protein means they'll be spotty egglayers when they get older, so mine won't get treats till they are a lot older. I'm raising mine for egg production so I use the wheatgrass and a friend who's babies are older than mine said my birds were a lot larger than his but he said he was feeding layer ration which is not for young chicks. I tried to get him to use starter/grower instead so he'll get better birds.
I know grapes are deadly to dogs but don't know about them for chickens. My older chickens love bananas!

 

[GhostRider65]

Quote:
My chicks have been getting HBd eggs since day 1 which is full of protein, and lots of other vitamins that are very good for them, I also have noticed my chicks at now almost 8 weeks are almost full grown, next to my neighbors chicks, who get not much more than corn, and a little bit of turkey feed dusted on top. They have gotten huge in the last few weeks, all my roosters are practicing crowing.it's hilarious..........
Also some dogs do eat grapes mine always have in moderation of course I don't feed them a # or anything a handful maybe, but they are not sprayed grapes they are from my organic vines. or bought organic, so no chemicals sprayed on them, and my dogs have never gotten sick from them. So maybe it's just some dogs have an allergy? I don't know I have always fed all my dogs grapes right now I have 4, or maybe like everything else that causes allergies it's the darn chemicals there sprayed with?

 

[Chiquitita Farmer]

My chicks are now 2.5 months old. The snacks they love are overly ripe bananas. They come running for them. They also love hard boiled eggs and cottage cheese.