New "Mommy" Questions on Food...

[freefallinsunshine]

So, our chicks are 2 weeks old. We are very excited! These are our first chickens! I just found BYC - yay!

I want to make sure that I am getting a few things straight:

1) The chicks should have a constant supply of food?
2) We can feed chicks bugs/fruits/veges/rice/yogurt? But no grass clippings until they're older?
3) We need to supplement their food with grit? As of when?

My main fear right now is them escaping from their brooder (a big cardboard box). They are intent on flying over the edge!! After 6 weeks, will they be good to transfer directly to their coop?

Thanks so much for any help that can be offered!!!!

 

[Matt A NC]

1) yes, always keep food and fresh water in with them.
2) Treats are fine in moderation. At 3 weeks old I start taking my little ones out on warm days to play in the grass. They pick and play. If they start to act cold, I move them back in.
3) Grit is needed when you start to give them food or treats other than the Starter.

Matt

 

[Ga Chicken Mom]

Welcome, this is a great forum and has lots of valuable info and nice people (chicken addicts). Congrats on your new chicks and best of luck with them. The chicks should have a constant supply of fresh food and water. I would go slowly with the treats so they don't get upset tummies. If you are feeding chick starter they don't need grit yet. I only feed cooked brown rice as the white rice doesn't have much nutrition, yogurt is great and I mix it with the rice. I wouldn't give bugs from outside while they are so young, some bugs carry parasites. Crickets and mealworms from a pet shop are the treats mine seemed to love - just watch out for your fingers! Put a screen over the top of your box or some kind of grate - just make sure the brooder light doesn't get the cover too hot. Graduation to the coop really depends on your chickies feathering and the outside temps. They have to be warm enough at night.

 

[freefallinsunshine]

Thanks so much! I need all the advice I can get. We had chickens growing up, but I wasn't really in charge! Now my husband & I have an old farmhouse complete with chicken coop and are really excited.

I can't wait til it stops raining so we can go out for 'recess'! hahaha!!

I will def take it easy on the treats... We are feeding chick starter. So we should wait til they're off the starter to add grits? Or add grits as you add more varying foods? And what's the concensus on grass? Moderation?

 

[chickenannie]

Welcome to BYC.
I would give them grit right away since you plan to feed them bugs and treats along with their starter. For my chick's grit, I just scoop sand and tiny pepples from our creekbed and put it in a dish for them. It's fine to give it to them when they're just a few days old even. By the way, it's not "grits" like in Southern cooking, it's "grit" as in rocks and pebbles. That may have been a typo, but just wanted to make sure!

 

[freefallinsunshine]

hahahaa!! Grits ;o) Grit it is! Thank you!

 

[the simple life]

These are probably stupid questions but here goes, if you are giving them sand, can you use the kind that you buy for the sandbox? We have bags of it.Also if you give sand then do you still need to find little pebbles? Is the starter food grainy enough to mix in with the treats or does it have to be sand? At 3 weeks of age what is a good treat to give them? I am letting them roam around the yard for a little each day while I am out there,if they are free ranging are they getting enough grit themselves out of the dirt for whatever else they are scrounging up to eat or do I need to supplement with grit?