Meal worms, fruits, vegetable, oatmeal for baby chicks?

undine

Chirping
6 Years
Jun 3, 2013
338
10
88
Los Angeles
When can I start feeding my baby chicks meal worms and how often can i give it to them? Also, is feeding my chicks fruits,veges, crushed nuts and oatmeal alright as a substitute for chick feed?

Sorry for asking.
 
Not sure why you are sorry for askin. But here it is for ya. I would introduce grit to you chicks before feeding anything. If the chicks were raised by a hen she would show em this. I don't like to give anything other than feed for the first 2 weeks. They need to have access to some grit before any treats so they can grind it up. If you put them outside for a short spell they will start pecking away and likely find their own grit.

Wish ya the best.
 
Not sure why you are sorry for askin. But here it is for ya. I would introduce grit to you chicks before feeding anything. If the chicks were raised by a hen she would show em this. I don't like to give anything other than feed for the first 2 weeks. They need to have access to some grit before any treats so they can grind it up. If you put them outside for a short spell they will start pecking away and likely find their own grit.

Wish ya the best.
okAY, thanks :D I'll buy chick feed
 
Not sure why you are sorry for askin. But here it is for ya. I would introduce grit to you chicks before feeding anything. If the chicks were raised by a hen she would show em this. I don't like to give anything other than feed for the first 2 weeks. They need to have access to some grit before any treats so they can grind it up. If you put them outside for a short spell they will start pecking away and likely find their own grit.

Wish ya the best.
Oh yeah and one more question... what are grits? why is it good?
 
Grit is just that...like sandy tiny rocks you find in the dirt. They'll find it in the dirt, or you can put some in a pie tin for them. It's not the same stuff as "grits." Grits is a gound corn hot cereal similar to cream of wheat in texture. I haen't heard of anyone feeding either to their chickens, but i can't think of any reason it would be bad for them, unless there is maybe a risk of getting an impacted crop.
 
Grit is just that...like sandy tiny rocks you find in the dirt. They'll find it in the dirt, or you can put some in a pie tin for them. It's not the same stuff as "grits." Grits is a gound corn hot cereal similar to cream of wheat in texture. I haen't heard of anyone feeding either to their chickens, but i can't think of any reason it would be bad for them, unless there is maybe a risk of getting an impacted crop.
Oohh =O well im reading up on grits. I also read that instead of feeding them grits, i can go for crushed oyster shells which is a better alternative. Is this true? :0
 
When can I start feeding my baby chicks meal worms and how often can i give it to them? Also, is feeding my chicks fruits,veges, crushed nuts and oatmeal alright as a substitute for chick feed?

Sorry for asking.
It's best to keep chicks on chick feed, medicated for the first few weeks. You can add some yogurt or buttermilk to it once in a while. If you want to add treats choose treats that are high in protein like raw sunflower seeds and meal worms. At around 4 weeks I start to give my chicks some fruit and veggie scraps. Starter and grower feed have grit (tiny rocks) in them. But if your chicks are in a brooder or live in a closed run and don't have access to dirt you will need to give your chicks GRIT (tiny rocks) before you feed them anything hard, for example, corn, oats or millet.

You can buy GRIT at any feed store. It comes in two sizes, finer ground for baby chicks and courser ground for grown chickens.
 
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It's best to keep chicks on chick feed, medicated for the first few weeks. You can add some yogurt or buttermilk to it once in a while. If you want to add treats choose treats that are high in protein like raw sunflower seeds and meal worms. At around 4 weeks I start to give my chicks some fruit and veggie scraps. Starter and grower feed have grit (tiny rocks) in them. But if your chicks are in a brooder or live in a closed run and don't have access to dirt you will need to give your chicks GRIT (tiny rocks) before you feed them anything hard, for example, corn, oats or millet.

You can buy GRIT at any feed store. It comes in two sizes, finer ground for baby chicks and courser ground for grown chick
Thanks :) Ill be buying these grits http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chick_grit.html <<<== these are the right size for baby chicks?
Ill also be buying this starter http://www.chickensforbackyards.com/NatureWise-Chick-Starter-Grower-7-lbs-CB10883.htm

Any more suggestions and advice? =0
 

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