more new chick advice, please

[Mis pollitos]

Ok, again...for a "first-timer" At what age can baby chicks start getting regular/daily kitchen veggie scraps? and would OSB be an okay board for the interior of our new coop? My concern is the glue used to make the stuff and the fumes it might put out...would plywood be a better choice?
Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Parront]

My baby chicks get a small taste of leftovers at about 2 weeks, I do not think there is any special age, I give mine a clump of grass with the dirt on the roots starting the second day here, about 4 days old. The little chicks attack it! Give them a tiny amount, so they learn it is food. When they are older, not more than 10% of their diet should be treats. As for OSB, it is not good when it gets damp, even if you paint it it seems to absorb moisture somehow! Outdoor or marine grade plywood is best, but more expensive. Old salvaged wood is sometimes great wood, if you can get it. No off-gassing from old barn wood! Some people use old pallets for the wood, which is extremely strong tough oak. A large coop would take a lot of pallets, though. I like to have the inside of the coop painted, sure makes it easier to clean the chicken poop off! Good luck with your new chicks!

 

[Mis pollitos]

Thank you SO much for all of your advice...I really was worried about the OSB. We will absolutely use something else!

 

[Parront]

Thank you SO much for all of your advice...I really was worried about the OSB. We will absolutely use something else!

Have you checked out your state's thread? I think experienced keepers in Mn would be able to tell you what they do there.

 

[Ryguy3684]

×2 on the outdoor/ marine plywood. If using it on the coop floor, you can put down adhesive backed vinyl floor tiles in top. It makes the coop much easier to keep clean as the plywood is difficult to clean.

 

[Eddie the Yeti]

I covered the floor and the tops of the coop and laying box with sheet vinyl flooring. You can get remnants that are big enough cheap, it is water proof and poop just hoses right off. This was especially helpful on the roof of the coop started with asphalt shingles and the poop got ground in and had to be scrubbed out. With the vinyl most of it slides right off when I open the top the rest washes off really easy.

 

[Parront]

I covered the floor and the tops of the coop and laying box with sheet vinyl flooring. You can get remnants that are big enough cheap, it is water proof and poop just hoses right off. This was especially helpful on the roof of the coop started with asphalt shingles and the poop got ground in and had to be scrubbed out. With the vinyl most of it slides right off when I open the top the rest washes off really easy.

I never would have thought to put sheet vinyl flooring as the roof!

 

[Kiki]

I would not feed then anything but a complete balanced commercially made chick feed for now.

Remember that every time you feed them something besides chick feed you are taking away from them having a balanced diet.

You feed too many treats and your birds will more likely have issues down road.

 

[Mis pollitos]

Thanks to all of you for your great advice! I love this site!!

 

[Mis pollitos]

Have you checked out your state's thread? I think experienced keepers in Mn would be able to tell you what they do there.

I didn't know there was a state page....how does one find it?