Help! Posting here too!

[jbarichivich]

Help!!!!!!!!!!!
I gave my two week old chicks raw sunflower seeds because I thought it was ok. One keeps opening it's mouth and another is drinking but REAL sleepy. Did I do something really bad. I will feel horrible if I killed my chicks because I was trying to give them a treat!
If I did is there ANYTHING I can do??

Thanks for you help!!!

 

[dot n'dave]

I'm sorry, i'm not sure what you can do, but I hope someone can answer soon!
I'd stick to the chick starter from now on til their bigger though. Good luck, keep an eye on them!

 

[jbarichivich]

Thanks I'm keeping a very close eye and trust me no more sunflower seeds. UgH!

 

[fiberart57]

I hope that they're okay now.

If you want to give your chicks treats like that you'll need to get them some grit. The feed in their starter is ground so fine for them that they don't need grit to help grind it up for digestion. However treats like sunflower seeds, lettuce and other stuff requires some bits of rock, grit, for them to put in their gizzard for grinding.

At their size, they'll need smaller grit; parakeet, sand, small aquarium stones (not the painted ones), get the aquarium gravel that's fine and natural. Try to keep away from calcium stuff.

Raw sunflower seeds, preferably shelled at their age, should be okay as long as they have a means to digest them. Don't give them unshelled ones yet. It's okay to give the babies some healthy treats every now and then, don't give them so much that they don't eat their regular food. And put a pan of grit in for them.

Mary