Looking for some examples of treats/foods for my chicks. Suggestions???

[ChicksInTheYard]

My chicks, as I've found out, are around 11 weeks old. I know that chicks have specific nutrient needs so I really have tried to be careful with them. I make sure they have fresh water and plenty of it (it's hot and humid here in PA, so they get some ice in their water) and I've given them only the starter crumble. (I must sound like a mean chicken-mommy; "no treats til you eat your dinner! haha) because I know it has mostly what they need but I'd like to give them a couple other things here and there. I see a lot of mixed reactions as to if you should give anything else to chicks, or what to give.

So...at their age, what are some good treats for them that are also safe? And how often to give them?? I appreciate any advice you guys have! Also, I'm almost out of my starter crumble and I was just thinking of doing a starter/grower mix. Would this be good until they start laying? Thanks!

Also, what other foods, if any, would require grit???


UPDATE: Okay my son's grandma (who gave me the chicks) just called me and told me she told me the wrong hatch-day of my birds. She gave me the earlier date, they are actually only about 8 weeks old! Still, looking big and healthy and happy. I'm still listening to your advice on this thread, since the time flies by!

 

[irelandjohnson]

My chicks, as I've found out, are around 11 weeks old. I know that chicks have specific nutrient needs so I really have tried to be careful with them.  I make sure they have fresh water and plenty of it (it's hot and humid here in PA, so they get some ice in their water) and I've given them only the starter crumble.  (I must sound like a mean chicken-mommy; "no treats til you eat your dinner! haha) because I know it has mostly what they need but I'd like to give them a couple other things here and there. I see a lot of mixed reactions as to if you should give anything else to chicks, or what to give. 

So...at their age, what are some good treats for them that are also safe?  And how often to give them??  I appreciate any advice you guys have!  Also, I'm almost out of my starter crumble and I was just thinking of doing a starter/grower mix. Would this be good until they start laying? Thanks!

Also, what other foods, if any, would require grit???

I would start with juicy items, or very mushed. I would recommend giving them grit, but if they are outside then they probably have some in their system. Just put it on the side or sprinkle it in the run. Popular treats are watermelon, hard boilded egg and various table scraps. I make sure the chicks associate treats with me so they always come running. Amount is tough in my opinion, because honestly naturally chicks dont get ground up starterfeed. They eat whats infront of them. In nature chicks dont get exactly 21% protien. I give them somewhat natural treats with my starter feed. I wouldnt give them a whole lot, but i crushed up one hard boiled egg and that was enough in my opinion for 6 chicks. Worms are fun too, small ones of course. My less that two week olds ate worms, super thin and tiny ones, and had no problems. They are full of protien,

. Again mine had small amounts of grit mixed in with their starter. Your starter feed bag should tell you when to switch to a grower. Usually you move to layer at AROUND, not exactly, 18 weeks, depends on feed. Enjoy treating your chicks.

 

[MrChickenGuy]

For their age sunflower seeds would be just fine. You will need to keep grit available. My girls go CRAZY for sunflower seeds. They're a great source of protein. But as with all treats, not too many is my rule with my girls.

 

[chickie-doo]

chicks love finely chopped greens or even freshly snipped grass--AS LONG AS NO CHEMICAL USED IN LAWN!!!! you can even hang some lettuce leaves in their pen. hang it from some wire so it doesn't get poop on it. be sure not to leave sharp wire ends in such a way that it can injure them. they'll get pretty energetic and you'll have a feeding frenzy once they figure out that it's food and not something scarey. they also love bread. it's got vitamins in there and it gives them something to do, tugging on a chunk of bread. once they get older, you can vary their treats alittle more

 

[ChicksInTheYard]

Thanks for the replies so far! We do tend to have a lot of veggies starting to wilt in the fridge (I want to grow my own, but for now the store bought stuff is ok but just doesn't keep as well) and I have a decent size bag of sunflower seeds that will suit them well! Thanks for those tips!
I may have to try them a hard-boiled egg, and I've read they c'an eat boiled potatoes/

Also, I forgot to mention, I have a big bag of ground flax powder (found it for a great price at the local Walmart of all places) and I add small amounts to our food as it is great with omegas and all that.... Is it something I can mix into their food? I give them crumble, it would mix well. I just figured if it is that good for us then maybe it's good for them.

Does anyone else give ground flax or anything like that? BTW when they are laying I plan on trying to grow them fodder.

 

[irelandjohnson]

Thanks for the replies so far!  We do tend to have a lot of veggies starting to wilt in the fridge (I want to grow my own, but for now the store bought stuff is ok but just doesn't keep as well) and I have a decent size bag of sunflower seeds that will suit them well! Thanks for those tips!
I may have to try them a hard-boiled egg, and I've read they c'an eat boiled potatoes/

Also, I forgot to mention, I have a big bag of ground flax powder (found it for a great price at the local Walmart of all places) and I add small amounts to our food as it is great with omegas and all that....  Is it something I can mix into their food? I give them crumble, it would mix well. I just figured if it is that good for us then maybe it's good for them.

Does anyone else give ground flax or anything like that?  BTW when they are laying I plan on trying to grow them fodder.

Flax is okay, full of nutrients. I have heard of DIY chicken feed having it. Be careful with potatoes, boiled should be okay, they are allergic to a chemical in the potatoes that give the underside of the potato skin a green tint. Boiled yellow, red or purple potatoes should be fine. Also steer away from avacados too. Have fun.

 

[chickie-doo]

Be very mindful when feeding boiled eggs that you remove ANY leftovers as that spoils super fast and can make them sick!
Also, I would NOT feed flax seed of any kind. This has a laxative effect and could cause more problems than good!!
Whatever you do feed them, do so in small mats, that they consume quickly. You don't need them gorging on treats and going off their normal feed.

 

[chickie-doo]

That was "amts", not "mats"!

 

[donrae]

I agree it's always handy to have the chickens trained to associate you with treats. Makes them much easier to catch if they happen to escape

. Fruits, veggies and grains are all good. I always call to them "here chick chick chick" when I scatter the treats out, this teaches them to come running when I call.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,

Yes, there is a science to feeding grit to poultry. Not just any pebble will do. I was absolutely astonished so much study and research had gone into the subject when I did research for the article below. Back in the 1920's poultry farmers started to notice that when their birds got the right kind and size of grit at the right ages, their layers produced more eggs. Up to 20% more per chicken. If one had 20,000 hens, that's a lot of extra eggs to sell. So a bunch of scientific studies resulted trying to find out the best combination of types of, sizes of, and ages to feed grit to poultry. As a result , 2 granite quarries in the USA started to produce 3 different sizes of grit for 3 different stages of poultry development. As I write, I believe only one quarry is still producing poultry grit ( I could be wrong about that). North Carolina Granite has the largest open pit granite quarry in the world. They produce Gran-I-Grit poultry grit in the 3 sizes plus a Turkey grit. They call their grit "StrongMo" which was the label for the other granite quarry's grit, so that is why I am thinking No. Carolina Granite is the only one now producing poultry grit. So what did all these studies discover and conclude that makes feeding grit to poultry a science? Here's what I found out and the instructions for feeding it:
The Science Of Feeding Grit To Poultry
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/891051/the-science-of-feeding-grit-to-poultry ( all 4 posts)
About feeding forage to poultry. Historically, one of the very best supplements has been sprouted oats. Forage oats are best because they don't get coated with an anti-mold chemical as come feed oats do. Forage oats: these are the oats that hunters and farmers sow in their fields to attract game and pasture their animals on. Feed oats: these are the oats that are fed to the animals in the barns. Sometimes they can contain a chemical to prevent mold. If this happens, the oats will not sprout for you, they will mold instead.
Around the turn of the century, Louisiana State University decided to create a new forage oat for hunters who wanted to plant feed plots to attract game. In 2002 they released Plotspike Forage Oats. http://www.plotspike.com Specially line-bred, not GMO, to be a prolific forage oat.
It's the brand I use. I get it in 25 or 50 lb. bags at Tractor Supply. 25 lbs. is plenty for a small flock. 50lbs. lasted me over 2 years and still sprouted with great success. For instructions on how to easily sprout oats for poultry read pages 24 thru 29 of this BYC thread:
anybody raise sprouts to feed the chickens? - Page 24
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/425134/anybody-raise-sprouts-to-feed-the-chickens/230
Best Success,
Karen