Good treats for baby chicks?

[theawesomechick]

My birds live on garden scraps or seconds much of the summer and fall. Summer squash, greens, tomatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, whatever I grow they eat. I don't cut anything up, that's what their beaks are for. I've seen a hen swallow a mostly grown mouse whole, I'm thinking they're fine with produce. I do have my sons smash hard shelled things like pumpkins or winter squash, just to let the birds know there are goodies inside. Plus, kid+baseball bat+ pumpkin=laughing for me!

Ha, baseball bat?

 

[peep peep betty]

sometimes i give my babies raw oats when i run out of scratch

 

[ma barker]

I have one week olds and I couldn't resist feeding them raw corn a few days after I got them. They love it!! Of course, fresh corn is probably hard to find in most parts of the country right now but if you can, get one and strip it, chop it up and hand feed it to them. They go from 0 to 60 in 2 seconds trying to snatch a piece of corn from one another. I figure fresh corn was okay since I'm feeding them the dried kind anyway. Plus it has more water content to keep them hydrated! /img/smilies/big_smile.png

 

[Mana81]

my babies are almost two weeks old. can i slice an apple in half and put it in the box for them to peck or should i cut it up?

 

[lulubonbon]

I love reading all this!

I read they love peas and run all cute/crazy with the peas! I think we are having peas for diner so we can share with the chicks!

 

[CharlieBradbury]

I've read this article from top to bottom, as well as several other articles, and one thing I've found that I am quite concerned about is feeding the chicks hard boiled eggs. I've read in separate articles that egg eating is bad, and you want to discourage it as soon as you notice it. So, my question is why would you give a chicken a hard boiled egg if you don't want them to eat their eggs? Wouldn't this be a horrible idea, as it would teach them that eating eggs is acceptable behavior? I know chickens are smart, I've watched broody hens peck at, and "throw" fake eggs out of their nests, and then the real egg, they push under themselves. I believe that they would know what you're feeding them, and given their inquisitive nature, would think they would try to find out what that yummy treat is.

 

[ten chicks]

Be careful feeding chicks too many treats,they do not need them and treats can cause vitamin deficiencies,diarrhea,crop problems,etc. All they need is their chick feed.

Feeding scrambled eggs does not cause egg eating. Eggs are packed with vitamins/nutrients and are extremely healthy.


Remember if feeding your chicks treats,they will need grit to digest food.

 

[UrbanFarming]

I saw Purina and Manna Pro chicken grit at the feed store. Can I use this for my chicks on the occasion that they get a small treat or is there specific chick grit? I haven't been able to find any that specifies as for chicks as opposed to chickens.

 

[MollyM93]

Ok im confused on the grit do you need to feed them grit only before you give treats or do they need grit all the time? I feed my chicks chick starter and was going to start giving them treats today

 

[Aacre]

Ok im confused on the grit do you need to feed them grit only before you give treats or do they need grit all the time? I feed my chicks chick starter and was going to start giving them treats today

You don't need grit if you are only feeding chick starter. When you feed them treats, you will want to supply them grit so they can digest the treats better.