New Chick Tips??? Feed and Bedding

[Cierabug]

I've got chicks hatching on wednesday and wanted to ask for tips on feeding and bedding. Are paper towels ok or should they be kept on pine shavings? Should I add garlic to the water? Is it ok to mix cooked egg yolks in with their feed for extra protien? What treats would be best for them once they are older? How can I keep them from pooping in their feed/water? What can I do to make sure they don't get sick when they meet the rest if the flock? Can chicks have any paprika to keep from eggting worms? Can chicks use wood ash for dusting or would dirt be better?

 

[lyoness247]

Paper towels until they eat well. You can feed them entire finely chopped hard boiled eggs. They love them and it's really good for them.

 

[Criticalicious]

After about a week on paper towels, switch to shavings. Otherwise they'll start eating the paper towels.

Why do you want to add garlic? It's not necessary. There are better ways to build immunity, like providing dirt from outside, whole clumps of plants/grass like dandelions (offer grit - see below), fermented feed, and some people swear by ACV.

No treats until older and offer chick grit freely fed in a separate container. They will gobble it up at first to fill their gizzard and then they'll only eat as needed. Grit in the gizzard helps digest their food. If you're feeding chick starter crumbles, grit isn't needed only because the starter is easy to digest (like baby formula) but once you start adding real food, they need the grit to digest it.

Grit can be offered from Day 1 even if it's not necessary.

You can offer whole boiled eggs without the shell but the chick starter should give them complete nutrition. So the eggs are more of a treat. Mine refused to eat egg.

To keep water clean, consider using chick nipples (horizontal or vertical). And raise all feeders to the height of their back so they can get food and water but not walk in it.

 

[Criticalicious]

You can offer ash, sand or dirt for dust bathing although they may not care about it until they start growing feathers. You'll know they're ready because they'll start dust bathing in the pine shavings.