Good treats for baby chicks?

[catdaddy66]

Quote:
Now I know what to do w/ the leftover bait I always have!! Even minners

 

[1/2DozenWings]

I watched my mare teach her colt what to eat and what not to eat. Animals--even domesticated ones-- rely upon their instincts every day, rather than suppress them, as do humans.
Any older bird can/will show them what to eat/avoid even in a passive way.
That's what I think.
It's common sense: stay away from late instar insect larvae because they have lots of chitin which is extremely difficult to digest, stay away from too many commercially-produced grapes that provide not much more than water and maybe a few chemicals of a dubious nature, as the most worthwhile component, the seed, has been removed through the practice of plant breeding .....
Keep them hydrated and free of temperature extremes.
I recall from Animal Science 101 (seriously) that chicks will grow in Direct proportion to the quantity and quality of protein that is fed to them. Unfortunately, the endpoint of the study was, .....enough said.

 

[Hunny]

Bumpity bump.

Good thread!

So what I'm hearing is...

Eggs
Yogart
Mealworms
Crickets
Some fruits...strawberrys and grapes.

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

Quote:
Pretty much, just make sure to offer chick grit once you give anything besides starter!

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Quote:
BIG BUMP!!! for this thread to be stickied

 

[Berritt]

I tried egg, and they were all completely uninterested. Also tried yogurt. They didn't want it. I mixed in some of their chow and they still didn't want it!

 

[1/2DozenWings]

Sweet (horse) feed is a favorite, but not the pelleted stuff.

 

[aclee]

I asked the man at the feed store about grit for the chicks (I have cornish) and he said they didn't need it, that if I was feeding anything to them besides starter, then we could just add a little cracked corn to their diet and it would be enough. Anyone heard that? I'd like to give them a banana to peck at, but so far we haven't given them anything but the chick started and cracked corn (maybe ground corn? Not sure)

Thanks!

 

[sires6]

Cracked corn is a food, not a grit. Grit is sand or small rocks necessary for the gizzard as chickens and chicks don't have teeth and the muscular action of the gizzard grinding against the rocks is like our teeth. Cracked corn will NOT work as grit. They have to have grit if they are eating anything other than starter ration.

 

[1/2DozenWings]

Having to deal with pasty butts on about 25% of my 3-day olds, I wonder if providing some grit to them wouldn't be a bad idea for just a diet of starter crumbles......or maybe it's that the coccidiostat in the medicated starter crumbles is hard on their intestinal microflora. I'm so new to this. Purina foods is all I have.

I do my best thinking while driving to work in the AM.....then I can't implement until 12 hours later