Starting chicks on greens and/or....need some advice please

[Mrs. Feathers]

Need some experienced advice on feeding my chicks. I am hearing varied opinions on when it is okay to introduce them to greens. Is three weeks too early? They are only a week now. I was thinking some chopped dandelion and chard. Both are in my organic garden so no chance of spray...thanks.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Mine hit the grass at two weeks, they don't eat much at that age but I like them being introduced to it so it's not so foreign later.

 

[Caju]

I was just going to ask this same question, but found this thread first. My chicks are 4 weeks old today; I got them two days ago from someone local who raised them from day old. I want to feed them green weeds from my garden. Do they need to be chopped up? I was going to hang a bunch like my friend does with her laying hens so they can peck at it but not trample it. Does this sound okay?

Also, any reason not to give them some quinoa seed? I grew it last year and it is mostly still on the stalk. They are tiny seeds and full of protein.

Thanks for any experienced advice!

 

[underground chickenman]

I know that I will be set straight by many who will say, "That's what they eat when mama raises them," or words to that effect, but we also used to put leaches on our butts to cure fevers. Science doesn't always beat nature, but sometimes it does. I like the fact that I can feed my new chicks a pretty ideal mix of the nutrients they need at this stage without the guess work and chance involved in letting them range free. There will be plenty of time for that, and I am okay with supplementing with some greens and other treats, but not before they've had a good go at the commercial feed.

Plus, I don't have a variety of wild things in my suburban neighborhood of St. Augustine grass and decorative shrubs. If I had an acre or two of wild grass, wild flowers and lots of bugs, I would probably feel differently, but for this backyard (very literal in my case) chicken farmer, commercial feed is the way to go for the little ones.

UGCM

 

[Caju]

Just to clarify: I am not suggesting substituting wild plants for commercial feed; I just want to supplement it. Partly because I think a diet with fresh food in it is best for people and therefore probably also for other animals, partly because the gals seem a little bored scratching around in the straw in the henhouse/temporary brooder. I put their commercial chick starter crumbles in one of those metal feeder trays with the holes.

 

[henni penni]

I'm learning that with chickens they will eat anything. Mine are on medicated chick feed plus the grit I add but they love clover, wild sweet williams, and green grass. I started mine on grass as a treat when they were 2 weeks old and gave them worms a well. I think sometimes we over react on what they can and can't have. I know I did but I've learned that chickens know what they like and what they don't. So don't worry about starting them on grass at a certain time, if its green and it moves their going to eat it. The best part of it all is when they get something they tell everyone they have it and then the fun begins. So just have fun and enjoy.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Even really young chickies will enjoy having a clump of grass or weeds, root ball & dirt intact, placed in their brooder. They'll peck away at the greenstuff and scratch through the dirt. It's food & entertainment all in one! As long as it's not a poisonous plant it should be all right. I think it's better to leave it whole and let them peck/bite/pull bits off. That way they shouldn't take more than they can swallow.

I think the main caution to remember with treats is that they should just be given sparingly, so that their main nourishment comes from their grow food.

 

[RuffledFeathers]

I barely wait a week before I start the green treats! I think this spring's batch was maybe 5 or 6 days old. I always start with finely slivered cabbage- first I slice it as thin as I possibly can and then I chop it down even further into nearly microscopic pieces! Cabbage is easier for me to chop as the head is so firm in the center and I can cut it very well with a big sharp knife. The same day I start greens I put a small tray of chunky washed sand and chick grit in there for them and put the cabbage on top. They need to pick up some grit to be able to process anything other than commercial chick starter.
The next green treat is broccoli. If you take a raw broccoli head and finely slice off the florets, they break apart into thousands of chick-sized bites which they relish. Fast forward to my 5 week olds- they get a half broccoli head now sliced lengthwise and it is not chopped- and they devour the whole thing in a day- also, chunkier sliced cabbage, chard or lettuce, 1/4 apple, and some handfuls of spring weeds, roots and all. (Know your weeds and what is toxic, please). No cut grass, as that can cause crop binding.
I use green treats as a training method- it makes for some well socialized birds and they can get used to my hands and touching. I only do greens once per day and don't overdo it, you don't want to give them diarrhea or keep them from eating their real food, which is important.

 

[Iheartmyhens]

I don't know exactly how old my 3 chicks are, but 2 are still pretty downy-whenever I have to lure them into the old parrot cage I keep them in so they are safe from feral cats, I lure them in with a bit of mixed scratch, extra dirt to play in, and some weeds from our backyard that the hens don't have access to (tall grass-we don't use weedkiller so it's safe). They LOVE it.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I don't feed treats to my birds.

But I do give my brooder chicks green feed starting at one week. Usually cabbage, but sometimes turnips, mustard, collards, whatever green leafies I can get cheap or am growing at the moment.

Chop it fine in the beginning. The first couple of days they may not eat much but once they catch on that it's 'good stuff' they'll scarf it up fast.

After the first week you can begin to chop it a little more coarsely. With each passing week chop it coarser still as they get the hang of tearing it into bite sized pieces. At a month or thereabouts I just put it in whole and let them wear themselves out ripping it to bits.

I don't feed more than they can clean up in about fifteen minutes or so. Once a day.

I think it's as important for birds to get fresh vegetables as it is for people.

.....Alan.