I just got two Rhode Island Reds 30 minutes ago! I don't really have a good feeder and waterer, so I put a bowl of food in the coop and a chick-waterer. I'm getting more supplies tomorrow. Does anyone know what kind of treats they'll like?
Congrats!! It is very fun raising chickens! (looks like you have been here a while but still welcome! ) Also mine love clover, watermelon, oatmeal in the cold morning, yogurt when its warm out, mealworms (looove them). Alot of other things to! Good luck with your chickies!
I think they will start to lay eggs in 1 month so I'm feeding them Blue Seal egg maker feed. Is that what they're supposed to eat? I also gave them some grass because we're not finished putting up the run. Oh, and they have been eating the pine shavings, too. Is that normal?
They should quickly learn that the pine shavings are not food. You don't mention how old they are, but if they'll be laying in a month they must be four or five months old - if they were day-olds, I'd tell you not to put pine shavings in with them for another week, but they're old enough that they're probably just curious about it as a substrate - they must not have had pine shavings where they were kept before. Grass clippings and any kind of greens - mine prefer carrot tops and will sometimes eat chard - are great for them. I've read that greens in their diet helps produce a rich, orange yolk.
They'll eat and drink out of just about anything, but having the proper equipment is better. You'll take care of that. EASY on the treats. If they are 14 weeks old (back figuring from your "they'll lay in month" statement) they need good feed, high in protein for muscle development and solid in nutrients for bone and organ growth. You want them to grow as big as they possibly can. I'd have them on a good 20% Flock Raiser type feed or even a good 18% Starter/Grower. Delay the layer feed until they actually laying. If you over do the treats, they'll over eat on those and disrupt their dietary balance. Vegetables, grasses and such are fine. Enjoy your Red birds.
Chickens love greens, veggies, grass, etc and they're good for them too. They also like hard boiled eggs, meal worms, cheese (careful as its fatty and that can hurt them in excess). But like the others said, treats need to be limited in nature.
