New chicks - what and when can I start feeding them treats?

[seattlicious]

We just picked up our first chicks yesterday. We haven't built a coop yet, but now that they're here, we'll have to. Here is a link to our brooder webcam.

http://www.justin.tv/di5ide

We're excited about giving them grass and veggies and stuff. Do any of you pet chicken owners have experience feeding your young chicks treats (I'm thinking a little fruit, grass or hard boiled egg?).

Thanks!

 

[purecountrychicken]

Little too young for most treats yet but heres a link for treats they will be able to eat. https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

They love plain yogurt though.

 

[bigzio]

If you are fortunate enough to live where you can simply take a divot of soil with some grass, the peeps will have a great time with it, creating entertainment for you too!

Simply place it there and watch their joy...provides free grit also...

~ bigzio

 

[kristenm1975]

Hey, hello from Whidbey Island! We just moved here from Ballard last September. So glad to hear of another Seattle-ite getting chickens.

Your brooder cam is awesome. Looks like a nice setup and some happy little busy chicks. What kind are they? Did you get them from a feed store or from My Pet Chicken?

What kind of coop are you planning on for them?

 

[sugarbush]

Fruit should not be fed to laying hens.. It will cause them to stop laying for 4-6 weeks and in some cases forever.

 

[bigzio]

I've never heard that before. My flock loves tomatoes, mellons, apples, grapes, strawberries, etc....and are great egg layers.

~ bigzio

 

[sugarbush]

Quote:
The north carolina Dept of Agriculture had a feeding chickens page up for a while and that is where I first read it. (I was going to link to it, but the page is gone now) I did throw my hens 6 strawbarries a while ago to test the theory and they did stop laying for a few days and then it took a few weeks for them to get back to where they were prior to me feeding them the strawberries.

If you have a Meyer 2009 catalog and look on page 5 under :housing laying hens" it says "Don't feed fruit to your layers, since it cause them to stop laying".

 

[geareduplyn]

Who dreams up this stuff? I give my birds fruit with no ill effects. For example last Fall I was giving my laying flock a 5 gallon bucket of pears every day. I also plant watermelons just for the chickens.

 

[Peaguy]

Nix on that idea! Sorry not buying that Arizona swamp land. I just last week gave my birds a pint of blueberries that didn't seem to make it to the fridge so were a little on the mushy side, I was hoping for some purple eggs!!

but instead got more eggs than we've ever gotten this week! 7 one day 8 the very next!
So to the no fruit idea I say PSHAW!!! With a capital P!

 

[sugarbush]

I nix a lot of information like when a DE dealer says it controls parisites. I figure if financially the source of the information stands to gain from it (like the DE dealers who are trying to sell it) than the information needs to be researched for truth, but when it comes to something like this where NC Dept Ag and Meyer hatchery gain absolutely nothing by disclosing the information than it is probably ligit.

My own non-scientific test was all the convincing I needed.