Good treats for baby chicks?

[cuckoo_orpington13]

My chicks are three weeks today and they love garden weeds and wild grain. They also love grass.

 

[LALADY1101]

My silkie chicks range from about 4 wks to 2 wks old. I've been giving them yogurt for a while now. I gave them each a small mealworm tonight, but I didn't give them any grit. Will they be ok until I can get them some tomorrow?

 

[ALLcoopedUP]

Here's a link to my youtube video of my chicks being fed with their starter feed and some corn on the cob being mashed for them by their mum.
It just seemed natural that if she got a treat she would give them a taste too!
(We only bought one corn as it wasn't cheap - cut it into 3 and spread it out over a few days! When they are older and our crop is ready they'll get some real home grown organic corn.)
I was so worried they wouldn't learn how to eat, because when I showed them the dish of starter feed they just stood on top of it and looked aorund!
But when I put a pinch of starter feed infront of the hen she immediately encouraged the chicks to tuck in, she seemed to pick it up and toss it to the side for them to find.
WHAT A REFIEF!

I can't imagine giving mine cooked egg - it just seems so wrong - like cannibalism.
I'm vegetarian and have never bought any live worms or crickets to feed my chickens.
I would never give them meat scraps from the kitchen or cat food - but that's just my perogative.
The older ones get plenty of seeds and freshly grown lettuce & veg.
But if they can catch and eat any crickets or little wriggly things that take their fancy then that's their perogative!

 

[Kelso]

Note, I don't take our chicks out of the incubator until the third day, they come out hungry and thirsty. I always leave a few older chicks in the indoor brooder (lined with alfalfa hay) to teach the 3 day old chicks. I always have chick starter in a feeder for them. I normally feed two treats a day, and hardboiled eggs is always one of the treats. The other treats are, bread, canned Jack Mackeral, powered milk over their chick starter, whole fish from store (make deep checkered cuts to each side, and watch them pick those bones clean), raw hamburger, veggies & leafy greens, and scratch grains for those 10 days old or older. I have yet to lose a chick this year after day 5, and we hatched about 155 chicks. Our chicks stay in our indoor brooders for 7 days, and then they go to the outdoor brooder (lined with alfalfa hay) with the older chicks, getting the same treats and food grade DE added to their chick starter. Once they're a month old they go to an indoor pen in the country, getting the same treats, feed, DE and shots. Works for us and they all have a nice heavy breast for their age. Kelso

 

[Mushroomman1856]

we have 2 RIR about a month and 5 mutts americana and white leghorn and a roo thats a langshon I think, I give them grubs, wheat crackers, cheerios, today I gave them crushed walnuts and they loved them, also mustard greens from the garden, these birds a walking disposals, part of the reason why I got them I feel guilty throwing away so many left overs. MM

 

[Spinster_Sister]

Loved your silkie videos! The momma was so gentle and sweet, and still sitting on eggs! I also loved your coop/run, didn't know that the chainlink posts could come in such shaped....you gave me some good ideas! Keep the silkie momma and chick videos coming!

 

[oesdog]

I am new to this too. I have 4 chicks with mum outside and they are about 1 week old now. Our neighbour just feeds his chicks ground up poultry feed and they seem to be doing well as ours outside seem to be. We also have eggs in an incubator as we lost a hen. Most of these have died and we had to help two out of the shell as they were very week. Still have 4 eggs though no sign yet of anything. One chick was born 6th and the other 7th June so are still very young and weak. The older one Blue is in the brooder but doesn;t seem to want to eat no matter what I try. I did try to put him with the hen and chicks outside but had to rescue him. The wee one Omelette is daft he is stronger than he was and knows already how to eat and drink but isn;t standing very well and looks like he is drunk and falls asleep in the feed dish. He has unfortunately some how burned himself on the ligh bulb? Not sure how as he is quite far from it. So I now have birds in three places. All at different stages? Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Donlt want to lose any. If I put iomolette in the brooder Blue jumps on him and pushes him over and if I put blue in with the hens they peck him and drive him away. Help any ideas!

 

[1/2DozenWings]

hey, Mushroomman......do you actually seek and eat wild shrooms?

I'm in Gibsonia.....we have lots of North facing wooded slopes, previous owners logged out the big oaks, lots of rotting oak and cherry stumps....they were probably cut about 7 years ago.....I see all kinds of shrooms and would love to know what they are.....my grandfather knew, but he didn't pass on his info to me.

Are you interested in teaching me?

I don't have to eat them, I'd just like to id them.

 

[grandmaof5]

Arggggh..yet another treat question: is there enough 'grit' in garden variety dirt, or do I need to get real grit? I put a wee clump of clover with attached dirt clump in with my babies and they pecked at it; will they be alright?.

 

[Ema]

I used to have lizards and use to carry every kind of worm there is. There is some confussion on whether meal worms or superworms (king worms) are ok for chickens and the effect on chickens. Superworms can still bite and can actually be bad for your little peeps' stomachs. Best if you just get rid of the head. However meal worms are small and don't pack much of any bite, your chicks are totally fine with this type of worm. the chicks totally love them. I wait until the meal worms shed and then feed them to the chicks. freshly shed meal worms are more nutritious and more tender for the peeps.