safety questions for chicks

[JOdogface]

Two questions as a relative newby (have had chickens in the past but not for several years):

First, I have a coop that had some styrofoam insulation. During a period of disuse, something got in there and chewed up/scattered some of the styrofoam. I just got new chicks which are currently in the house; will put them out in the coop when they're 3-4 weeks. Is there any likelihood that the chicks would eat the individual white styrofoam beads? I'm assuming that would choke up their crop and probably be fatal. But if they wouldn't eat it, I'd rather not be down on my hands and knees with tweezers trying to pick up a couple quarts of styro bits! Advice?

Secondly, they're currently in the house in a large dog crate (5 days old). I'd like to give them some mental stimulation -- would it be safe to pick some wild catnip and offer them a few stems to pick at?

 

[apryl29]

They can and will eat anything and everything they can get their beaks on. Can you try brooming them out or a vacuum?

I've seen people tie bunches of lettuce for chicks. I gave mine grass clipping and they didn't really care about them.. They did like those round ball cat toys w/ a bell in them though.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

For your second Q...

I tried giving my girls catnip, peck it, and they spat it out.

 

[auroaSfarm]

No catnip no, I'd give them Vanilla yogurt and scrambled eggs and starter medicated chick feed from a feed store, I'd find a better insulator then Styrofoam

 

[The Moonshiner]

I don't know why but chickens love to eat Styrofoam.
They will eat the beads and they'll eat the sheets or any of the styrofoam that comes as packing in box toys come in.
I can't imagine it wouldn't be harmful. I keep it all out of reach around our birds.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes, you should clean up the styrofoam, as well as blocking access to the area it came from. You could use a shop vac, and get the job done quickly. Given that it's summer, you could move them directly into the coop just as soon as you have it cleaned up. Sooner better than later. (unless you are in southern hemisphere and it's winter where you are.) Your chicks will be fine in the coop. If you have electricity available (construction grade extension cord???) you could brood them with a heating pad, or even use a wool hen or a huddle box. Chicks need far less heat than many folks think they need.)

 

[JOdogface]

Thanks for all the replies. No power at the coop so no shop vac. Will try my little hand-held vac. I'm keeping the chicks in the house initially for two reasons: One, I'm in woodsy north Florida, and until they can fly well enough to get up to a perch, putting them outside now would just mean snake food. Secondly, I'm hoping my dogs will get used to them (the novelty will wear off) and they'll be less inclined to go after the chicks once they're moved to the coop. I'm making it clear to dogs that these interesting little cheepy things are MINE and are NOT to be hassled!

 

[apryl29]

Thanks for all the replies. No power at the coop so no shop vac. Will try my little hand-held vac. I'm keeping the chicks in the house initially for two reasons: One, I'm in woodsy north Florida, and until they can fly well enough to get up to a perch, putting them outside now would just mean snake food. Secondly, I'm hoping my dogs will get used to them (the novelty will wear off) and they'll be less inclined to go after the chicks once they're moved to the coop. I'm making it clear to dogs that these interesting little cheepy things are MINE and are NOT to be hassled!

Do you maybe have a super long extension cord, or have come people you can borrow from? I bought a 120 ft cord for $30 to bury for heat (it gets cold and I feel bad for them) but then my dad rototilled it... sigh.. Something like a lint roller might work too if it's not too deep in cracks (or rolled up tape).