How often do you give treats?

[Mama_Chicken]

Quote:
I just let my 5 week old bantams into their run Saturday. It's still mostly grass in there with a good bit of dirt patches. They're munching on the fresh grass, but I don't have any grit at the moment. Will they be ok for a few days (seeing as how they've been out there for two already....) with the sand as grit?

 

[Justuschicks]

I use a sand type stuff as grit for my chicks. It is labeled for parakeets but works very well for chicks as well. It is pretty close to the same size as sand so i would say they would be fine.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
I just let my 5 week old bantams into their run Saturday. It's still mostly grass in there with a good bit of dirt patches. They're munching on the fresh grass, but I don't have any grit at the moment. Will they be ok for a few days (seeing as how they've been out there for two already....) with the sand as grit?

IMO if they can get to the dirt they are ok short term.

Long term, if your soil is very dense clay with no pebbles you might want to supplement= personal choice.

 

[Mama_Chicken]

Thanks! I have very sandy, gritty soil and may go back to the river and get some sand from there just in case.

 

[cheekyhens]

Have any of you encountered their spilled food (pellets) all over the place or not wanting to eat their regular food? Seems like they were picking through it looking for something better and spilling it all over the place .Maybe I'm giving them too many treats. I give them treats like grass and left overs 1 or 2 times a day.

 

[donrae]

Have any of you encountered their spilled food (pellets) all over the place or not wanting to eat their regular food? Seems like they were picking through it looking for something better and spilling it all over the place .Maybe I'm giving them too many treats. I give them treats like grass and left overs 1 or 2 times a day.

Yes. I just don't fill the feeder until the spilled food is all eaten. Really, eating from a feeder is a human thing, it's far more natural for a bird to eat off the ground. I think their instincts to scratch and peck are pretty strong and they spill the feed on purpose to fulfill that instinct.

 

[cheekyhens]

I cleaned most of it up...didn't want to invite bugs or other critters (mice), the feeder I'm using is only refilled about once a week. One of my chickens is a super messy eater, she spills 50% of the food picking through it, but this looks like a bomb went off and it was completely scattered one square foot all near the feeder... Thanks for the response.!

 

[write2caroline]

I think I started offering the chicks treats after the first week. I gave them yogurt with chick feed sprinkled on top. They loved it. Treats are not suppose to be regular food so I try not to over treat them. I give them pumpkins or watermelon, they love freeze dried meal worms, I give them left overs, rice, spaghetti noodles, bread. Berries - we have these berries all over the property where we live and some of the chickens were eating them so when I find them in a place they cannot get to them, I pick the berries and feed them in the run. I once had a broody momma and I got her big meal worms as a treat and she was excited but instead of eating them herself she would grab one and fed each of the chicks. Not the plan but she was very happy and so were the chicks.

Caroline

 

[pnwmom]

I generally don't give my babies treats....well I do, but they don't eat them. I feed my grown chickens table scraps. With 3 kids, someone is always picky about something I have fixed. Crusts, oatmeal, mac n cheese (a chicken favorite) and don't judge me for this last one because I didn't do it, my husband did but boy did they love it....ready for it?..........the left over carcass from a rotisserie chicken. We had read that it is great protein for them but I just thought it was sooooo wrong. I went to grab it out of their pen and it was picked clean!!!!!!

Lol....I love it!