Thanks Chris, I will heed your advise on the treats. I honestly figured with the sand to use as grit they would be able to handle the fibrous treats. The protein I didn't think was an issue because with the exception of the lettuce and fruit, they all provided protein and it was going to be a treat not a supplemented food source. But I'm sure I am being a little too anxious to give them treats because I see it as a source of bonding. I'll hold off till they are older. What do you consider to be half grown? I read that 8 weeks is time to put them outside and something like 6 months they could start laying. So would you say 3 months is a good time to start treating them? Thank you for any info.
Even adult birds have a hard time digesting fiber, there system isn't designed for it.
Actually out of all the treat that you listed the only thing that has a good protein amount is the meal worms, all the rest is fairly low compared to there chick starter.
I'll give you a good example of what I'm talking about.
Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (BOSS) is only around 16% protein and a good Chick Starter is around 20% + protein. Now if a chicks eats half its intake chick starter and half BOSS then it protein intake is only about 18%, that is a big difference.
Depending on breed, the feed that your feeding, season and where you got the birds,,, I would say half grown would be between 3 and 8 months. As for laying, they will start laying when they are mature and for the most part done growing, that could be (again depending on breed, the feed that your feeding, season and where you got the birds) from 6 month to a little over a year.
If you want to offer a bit of a treat now, you could offer them a bit of Hard Boiled Egg.
I would say 1/2 a hard boiled egg per 6 chicks once a week.
I wouldn't feed other treats until there at least 3 months old.
