Oh yeah! I hang a cabbage to keep my feisty girls busy with something, and yesterday, Naruto was peeling bits of cabbage off and giving it to the chicks! Then the teen agers ( 9 Balls brood) started running in and grabbing it from the chicks, forcefully if needed! Those teens (7 weeks old) are a bit of a rough handful with the young chicks there... I think I should go ahead and remove the five cockerels to a tractor to give Naruto a little peace. I had intended to leave them until they started acting like obnoxious cockerels as my mean girls can use the shaking up of so many little velociraptors running around...I'm sure they will be ok! My broody chicks always get all sorts of interesting tid bits that the hens find and since my hens are with the rest of the flock that also means whatever scraps I give them and they seem to be perfectly happy! I have several healthy teenager chickens that are happy healthy birds that were raised that way.
It's funny because I'm always cautious about what I offer my brooder babies too. The only treat I offer them is scrambled eggs but the little ones with broody hens outside get everything from watermelon, kale, bugs, grass, and who knows what else and everyone seems perfectly happy, lol.
Susan is I the brooder box, on new shavings, with only chick starter and whatever liquids I’m giving them. I have fresh water always, but for the first few days I also have electrolytes/probiotics/ Nutridrench. I stopped those Saturday and noticed some past butt Sunday so I’ve reatarted the electrolytes/probiotics...
