New chicks and bugs question

[ginger c.]

We just brought our chicks home today. We have them on medicated starter. I caught a spider earlier and another bug. My wife made me get rid of them. Can I feed these types of things to the chicks as treats? Or do I need to wait until they are a certain age before tossing in juicy bugs and a little fruit?

Thanks in advance,

Ginger's DH

 

[chirpingcricket]

Hang in there, because I'm sure someone has the correct answer. Best I know so far, if they want it, they will eat it. They seem to know somehow what is good for them to eat. We will all learn together. That's the best assest BYC has, it's dedicated members.

 

[m_shuman]

Thats funny, I was wondering the same thing when my son came home from grandmas house with a basket full of crickets today! Thanks for asking and I hope someone has the answer.

 

[sgtmom52]

ginger c. :

We just brought our chicks home today. We have them on medicated starter. I caught a spider earlier and another bug. My wife made me get rid of them. Can I feed these types of things to the chicks as treats? Or do I need to wait until they are a certain age before tossing in juicy bugs and a little fruit?

Thanks in advance,

Ginger's DH

I usually wait until they are a week or two old before giving treats ~ however ~ if the chicks were being raised by a hen she would have them out and finding all sorts of goodies for them such as bugs and greens. When you do start to give treats, you must also make sure they have access to grit too.​

 

[Cambium29]

My chickies started catching little bugs on their own--a fly or a spider or gnat--so we decided one evening to put a desk lamp on the floor in the hallway and leave the screen door open. Moths, mosquitos and mayflies made their way toward the light and the chicks went NUTS!! They ran around snapping up bugs and scrambling over each other for the next tasty morsel, it was bedlam for about an hour. We've been doing this now for about two weeks and every evening around sunset they congregate in the hall, waiting for us to turn on the lamp and open the door.

It's thoroughly entertaining--try it!

 

[Hillbilliology]

I bet that would be a lot of fun to watch. I had my NHR try to snap a fly that was buzzing through and I couldn't believe that little chick had that amount of speed and agility in her. Talk about predatory

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
Did you ever watch Jurassic Park? Don't ever fall down around a bunch of those hungry little raptors!