Swheat Scoop in Brooder

[carrieZ]

Hi!! New to chicks!! We have 8 babies! 3 Favorelles and 5 EEs/Barrred Rocks. (The guy I got them from said his EEs got mixed into his barred rocks). They favorelles are a week today and the other are 2 weeks. I have had them on paper towels until today. I read some people using swheat scoop so I picked some up today...first it looks just like the starter

Second being all wheat I'm assuming it's ok if they eat. They know where their food is as they stand around the feeder eating. They are scratching in the swheat scoop and eating it?? I can't tell if they are eating it or picking it up and dropping it. I'm a paranoid chicken mom so just making sure it's ok and wanted anyone's feedback on Using the swheat as brooder bedding...I debated between it and sand but read in here that it was lighter in the brooder and I liked that for cleaning moving purposes!

[/IMG]

 

[3riverschick]

Well it's not chick starter and they're eating if they need chick grit. so go get them some grit. second of all, wheat is a low protein feed. honestly if it was me, I would put them back on pine wood shavings. I would be more comfortable with pine wood shavings.
The white bale of pine shavings, not the yellow, one at Tractor Supply.
Best,
Karen

 

[sebile]

I may be posting in the wrong area...

... however... I have several 6-8 week old chicks and have been attempting to turn them out to be in the yard, out of their coop for an hour or so in the afternoon. our yearlings come out in the morning and go back to the coop late afternoon/early evening and have done so since they were 8 weeks old....but we have had to catch these new chicks in a butterfly net and put them back in their pen every night...seems if they can figure out how to get OUT of the coop then they should be able to go back in at bedtime... but these new chicks HAVE to be gathered up and put back inside the coop everytime... Do you think they are just not mature enough/old enough to figure this out? Surely I wont have to physically pick them up every day and put them back in the coop???!

 

[Stephine]

Do they have their own coop? Did you leave them in their coop for a week or so, to firmly establish it as home base?
if yes to both, you should train them to come when called. Just call them the same way every time you give them their favorite treats - raisins or mealworms are great - and they'll learn quickly.