Not so skinny chicks!

[singleton]

Good gosh! My 3 week old chicks are eating like crazy! I have 3 Easter Eggers, 3 Australorps and 3 Plymouth Rocks and we are going through a 5lb bag of chick starter every 2 days! I wish our Agway sold that stuff in 20lb bags!

Are there any "treats" I can give them? I dont want to disturb their disgestive systems, since they are only 3 weeks old. Can they eat bugs? We have lots of spiders and cave crickets (which are the most hideous insects ever! - these 1/2 dollar sized bugs jump like grasshoppers and scurry like spiders - I cant wait till the chickens are older, they'll have crickets every day!) http://desudesudesu.org/images/uploads/771227256905.jpg

Or can they eat things like breadcrumbs and cheerios?

Thanks for your helpful advice, once again!

 

[BuffOrpington88]

If they are in the brooder, you can give them pieces of grass cut into 1 inch pieces. If you give them grit, they can have a greater variety.

 

[Kevin565]

They can have many insects but I would not advise feeding them bugs you catch. They could have come in contact with numerous diseases and parasites. You can buy healthier insects at most pet stores. You can feed cheerios in moderation but they don't have much nutritional value for them

 

[vickifiveoh]

My chicks are doing the same thing. I told my husband that I have never seen chicks eat like they are. I am interested in seeing what kind of responses you get.

 

[leadwolf1]

I started out buying smaller bags of food but then just resigned myself to the fact that chickens are actually feathered pigs and now I buy 50 lb bags!

I give my chicks a plate of old fashioned oats, ultrakibble for chicks and grit every morning to supplement. I also always have a baby cake in their brooder for them to munch on. Soon, I will be giving them cut up grapes, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and any other fruit that I find has gotten to be too ripe for humans to enjoy. They love cut up grapes. I cut them into 8th or 16th since chicks will gulp them and will choke if given bigger pieces.

Chicks grow into chickens so quickly that they need as much solid nutrition as they can get. Thus, the enormous amount of food they consume once they hit 3 weeks old! Feathers take a lot of nutrition also.

Enjoy your little eating machines...they won't be little for much longer

 

[StephanieH]

You can give them greens and veg peelings too. I hope you can find somewhere with 50 pound bags of food soon!