Other than crumbles, what can I offer to my 2 week old silkies?

[todtrac]

I am very curious when we can offer our chicks other food besides medicated crumbles? We have seen them catching and eating moths and they love it.... they actually chase each other around trying to get the moth for themselves!... can we introduce worms, bugs, or grass at this stage?

 

[Pineywoods Peepers]

I was wondering that myself. I've picked a few caterpillars off my garden, and I really wanted to feed them to the peepers.

Rachel

 

[Cattitude]

I started putting some grass in when my last batch was about that age, but IIRC they need grit if they start getting greenery. They sure do chase down those bugs, don't they? It's comical! I actually saw one run backwards in pursuit of a bug!

 

[Camelot Farms]

If they were outside with thier mama they would be eating bugs from day one so go ahead....give them some treats.

Mine love green grass, watermelon, oatmeal, yogurt...I just give it in small portions at this age.

Have fun!

 

[todtrac]

If I start feeding my chicks greens and such, then I should offer them grit??... do I just put the grit into a bowl in the brooder and they will naturally pick at it?? ... Confused and concerned that I won't do it right...

 

[AKsmama]

I've read don't put the grit in a bowl because they will eat it and fill up on it. Lots of people sprinkle it on the starter food. I take my chicks outside in a makeshift chicken tractor and they get grit (dirt and sand) themselves when they scratch around. But yes, if you're going to feed greens/treats other than plain yogurt or chopped up boiled egg, they need grit.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I gave my chicks a small amount of chick grit in a bowl when I began giving them treats. You can also sprinkle it on their food like pepper.

 

[Kedreeva]

Their starter may have grit in it already, otherwise cleaned sand is good to use, sprinkled on food.

There's a lot you can feed for treats- mashed egg, ground oatmeal (non instant, get the good stuff and grind it with your fingers, it should pretty much fall apart), yogurt, bits of fruit (mine like strawberries and were afraid of blueberries), crushed cheerios or flakes, basically stuff little little kids would eat if you fed them healthy things.

I don't have any chicken babies right now, but my two peachicks love the wet mash I made with ground egg, ground oatmeal, plain yogurt, chick starter, and electrolyte water. It's not MEANT for them, it's MEANT for the dwarfed duckling they are in with, but they will fight me for it every time and play keep away if one of them nabs a somewhat cohesive chunk. They're very silly.

 

[woodmort]

Basically you probably shouldn't feed anything but crumbles until they have grit--either what you give them or what they can pick up once they're outside. That's the big difference between letting a hen raise chicks and artificially brooding them.