Texas

[yinepu]

So... my 17 pound box of eggs is AWOL...
*sighs* USPS strikes again


9505510379283098427438
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April 08, 2013, 4:45 pm

GRIDLEY, IL 61744

Expected Delivery By:
April 10, 2013
USPS Tracking / Delivery Confirmation

• ​
• ​
• ​
• Acceptance​
• April 08, 2013, 11:51 am​
• GRIDLEY, IL 61744
  ​

their little "hide details" button is possessed when I try to post to the forum.. go figure...

 

[Texas Chickens]

Ok, so this might sound like a stupid question.....what can I feed chicks? I mean at what age can they eat different things? So far I'm giving them the start and grow chick feed, some store bought grit is mixed in with their feed at the proper ratio from what the bag said, some dried meal worms (they fight over these). I tried to give them some mashed up strawberries, but they weren't touching it.....it just sat there for an hour or so. Not sure if it's because I mashed them up and they think I'm crazy since they've already eaten the "good stuff" or what. The temps here in DFW dropped drastically yesterday so I'm not letting them forage yet until the temps come back up. Any ideas on what baby chicks like and what's "appropriate" to feed them at less than a week old?

We feed ours Purena Flock feeder till they are in their grow out pen then they get the Feeder and grain and any treats that the big chickens get. Chickens eat most anything believe me. The poor cats have had to have their food bowl go up on the shed roof cause the running roosters will eat it clean on them.

 

[Cockle-Dood]

So... my 17 pound box of eggs is AWOL...
*sighs* USPS strikes again


9505510379283098427438
Label number 9505510379283098427438 open-close linkHide Details

Priority Mail

Dispatched to Sort Facility

April 08, 2013, 4:45 pm

GRIDLEY, IL 61744

Expected Delivery By:
April 10, 2013
USPS Tracking / Delivery Confirmation

• ​
• ​
• ​
• Acceptance​
• April 08, 2013, 11:51 am​
• GRIDLEY, IL 61744
  ​

their little "hide details" button is possessed when I try to post to the forum.. go figure...

17lbs of eggs!! Wholly Moly!!

i work in logistics and it blows my mind how often i see comments like this! i would be fired if something just disappeared like that! someone needs to get on their game!

 

[GFamily]

I've found that they don't care for mashed up stuff as much as they do diced/cubed. And, some don't like certain foods while others go crazy for it. My Girls, for example, love blueberries. My Rascals, on the other hand, will ignore them until eternity.

As for what they like, keep experimenting. You'll hit on their favorites soon enough. Try bananas, btw. I serve them diced up to my brooder batch and they go nuts for it. I mix it in cubed for the rest of the flock and it's been a universal favourite. There's a list on here for good treats for chickens: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

That's what I was thinking about the "mashed up" strawberries. "Maybe I shouldn't have mashed them up and cubed them like you said"...this was my thought after they wouldn't even go near the plate with the strawberries on it. I picked strawberries because after reading the list on that link you just posted I figured those seemed like they were a fave so I tried those first. I have strawberries, blueberries, blackberries right now so I'll experiment. I just was more worried that maybe they weren't eating the strawberries because it was too soon to feed them other stuff. Thanks for your information! I appreciate it greatly!

 

[GFamily]

Alot of people will say that you dont need to feed them much more of anything until they get a little older....BUT....i would feed mine boiled egg when they were that young, and they really liked steamed corn and some yogurt that i had given them as well. once they got to about 3-4 weeks old i would give them carrot peels and some cucumber! they also got left over baby spinach from a salad we made and that was a hit as well!

the fruit has such a strong flavor and maybe thats why they didnt mess with it much, looking back at what i just listed seems more bland style treats! give it a shot and let me know what happens!

Great ideas! We always eat hard boiled eggs and I eat a yogurt shake in the mornings for breakfast...awesome ideas! Thanks.

 

[GFamily]

We feed ours Purena Flock feeder till they are in their grow out pen then they get the Feeder and grain and any treats that the big chickens get. Chickens eat most anything believe me. The poor cats have had to have their food bowl go up on the shed roof cause the running roosters will eat it clean on them.

LOL!!! This made me laugh about the cat food. My cat is still trying to figure these gals out. The brooder is in our garage at the moment and my cat goes out there to "investigate". I know he would kill them so when I take them out I shut the door to keep Tom (my cat) out of the garage.

 

[bnjrob]

Ok, so this might sound like a stupid question.....what can I feed chicks? I mean at what age can they eat different things? So far I'm giving them the start and grow chick feed, some store bought grit is mixed in with their feed at the proper ratio from what the bag said, some dried meal worms (they fight over these). I tried to give them some mashed up strawberries, but they weren't touching it.....it just sat there for an hour or so. Not sure if it's because I mashed them up and they think I'm crazy since they've already eaten the "good stuff" or what. The temps here in DFW dropped drastically yesterday so I'm not letting them forage yet until the temps come back up. Any ideas on what baby chicks like and what's "appropriate" to feed them at less than a week old?

You can feed them just about anything from the time they are born. They are omnivores, not vegetarians. If you feed them ONLY chick feed, then you don't need to supplement with any grit. You only need grit if they are going to eat other things.

Remember, prior to the 20th century, there was no such thing as manufactured chick feed. Only wealthier people who were poultry fanciers did things like special feeding (of grains/fruits/etc) or incubated eggs and raised chicks without a hen's help. Momma hens have their chicks eating all kinds of bugs, plants, etc. from day one.

Prior to manufactured feed, people did feed whole grains obtained from the feed store to chickens. If they could afford it. More often, homestead chickens had to scrounge their food - bugs, mice, snakes, spiders, ant, grasses, seeds, etc. The lady of the house, or the children, would feed chickens food scraps from the house that were too small to save, couldn't be saved due to no electricity, were too mushy or damaged for people to want to eat, etc. They gave their chickens everything they weren't going to use themselves, including meat and even dairy scraps such as soured milk, sweet milk, butter milk from churning butter, whey, as well as the routine fruits/veggies.

Don't be afraid to throw things to the chickens. Usually when they won't eat it, it's because they just haven't figured out that it is edible and you have to keep re-introducing things to them - like when teaching a baby to eat new foods. Once they get outside and have opportunity to start foraging, it usually takes them less time to decide to try something new. You can clean out the refrigerator and feed them things you might throw away as long as stuff isn't moldy. Ours will eat bruised fruit/veggies but they also eat things like leftover soups, casseroles, etc. They love leftover navy bean & turkey ham soup! I know people that say their chickens love to eat old hot peppers that they were going to trash. Be creative. You can treat your chickens, clean out your fridge, and carry on an old homestead tradition all at the same time.

 

[Kilsharion]

We feed ours Purena Flock feeder till they are in their grow out pen then they get the Feeder and grain and any treats that the big chickens get. Chickens eat most anything believe me. The poor cats have had to have their food bowl go up on the shed roof cause the running roosters will eat it clean on them.

True statement. Though, I must have some of the most spoiled poultry on the planet because I'm finding there are things that they don't care for (re: the blueberries my Rascals won't go near). It's very interesting to see that they actually do have preferences, and it's not all the same for every bird. I am still growing into actually seeing them as individual birds. Growing up, there were so many around all the time that you just kind of saw them like one hive mind with individual body parts. It's great getting to see their individual personalities coming out.

Oh my gawd, guys....I wish we had been able to get a photo last night. But, we always "tuck the girls in" at night. Just as the sun is setting, we're outside with a drink, chatting, etc which the chickens do the Chicken March to bed. Last night, we were caught up in canning the leftover chili and hadn't realized it was sunset. We hear a *tap tap tap pause taptap tap pause taptaptapTAP* on the glass of our dining room window. Mike looks up and busts out laughing, so Jeff and I ask what and Mike points to the window. The Girls (Miney, Mo and Meeney) are up on the window sill eyeing us like, "Dude, are we going to bed or WHAT?" As we watched, Mo (my fave, btw) cocked her head and then began to tap on the window again. So, out we went and put them to bed. It was hilarious.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:

Priority Mail

Dispatched to Sort Facility

April 08, 2013, 4:45 pm

GRIDLEY, IL 61744

Expected Delivery By:
April 10, 2013
USPS Tracking / Delivery Confirmation

• ​
• ​
• ​
• Acceptance​
• April 08, 2013, 11:51 am​
• GRIDLEY, IL 61744
  ​

their little "hide details" button is possessed when I try to post to the forum.. go figure...

17lbs of eggs!! Wholly Moly!!

i work in logistics and it blows my mind how often i see comments like this! i would be fired if something just disappeared like that! someone needs to get on their game!

the crazy thing is I only paid for 5 eggs.. she sent 8.. then she decided I needed 6 dozen more!

hopefully they don't arrive as a 17 pound omelet

 

[Kilsharion]

Don't be afraid to throw things to the chickens. Usually when they won't eat it, it's because they just haven't figured out that it is edible and you have to keep re-introducing things to them - like when teaching a baby to eat new foods. Once they get outside and have opportunity to start foraging, it usually takes them less time to decide to try something new. You can clean out the refrigerator and feed them things you might throw away as long as stuff isn't moldy. Ours will eat bruised fruit/veggies but they also eat things like leftover soups, casseroles, etc. They love leftover navy bean & turkey ham soup! I know people that say their chickens love to eat old hot peppers that they were going to trash. Be creative. You can treat your chickens, clean out your fridge, and carry on an old homestead tradition all at the same time.

We actually gave them some of the leftover chicken n dumplings (sans dumplins since I did get those all in the jars) that wasn't enough for any of my pint jars (I can a lot of our leftovers, btw). They went crazy for it. Mike asked, "Should we let them know they are being cannibals?"