Things chicks can eat

[feliciamckee]

Quote:
The lactose in yogurt (or kefir or some other products) has pretty well already been digested by the culture that made the yogurt. You give yogurt for the probiotics. You should still give it in small quantities. For 27 chicks I'd probably give a couple of heaping tablespoons mixed in their chick food. It is supposed to give them some good gut flora, particularly in brooder raised chicks.

I've never tried to give mine yogurt except mixed in scrambled egg, chick feed or similar.

Lots of info on the web about birds being lactose intolerant; just google.

Makes sense.

 

[Kaeta44]

I only gave my chicks chick crumb to eat as it's nutritionally designed to give the little ones everything they need to stay healthy and grow. I saved the treats for when they were older.



http://muckycluckers.blogspot.com/

 

[chickmchickie]

Thank you all for your posts..

I give treats such as bread and watermelon now.. i wanted them trained to come when i call and with treats i can do that.. at 3 weeks they all come running.. so i know once they are out and i call them they will come.. we get bad weather here that comes up fast and to be able to get them into the coop asap means a lot to me, so that is why i wanted to treat them now.. i gave them oats meal last night it was fun to watch them.. but my black stars seem to challenge me an they are pullets..

 

[BooBear]

For the first few days of their arrival I give them some moistened chick start. This gets nutrients n moisture in them. I may also give them a scrambled egg for extra energy boost if I feel they need it.
I also would mix some yogurt with their chick start in a small flat dish to them to help them build good bacteria in their tummies.

I mainly want to make sure they are eating and drinking their normal stuff the first week.
I do like to give treats, but, make sure it is chick age appropiate. (sounds silly)
Scrambled egg, yogurt mixed with chick start are good early treats in moderation ( small amounts).

The second week they get a frisbee filled with sand to play in. They love this simple treat and some even will take their first dust bath. Once sand is introduced I will sometimes give them small bits of fruit or vegatables that are cut up in tiny bits.

Another treat is short monitored outings in the chick playpen in the yard where they can be mini chickens.

 

[chickmchickie]

hahah super good post ty boo bear.. mine are 3 weeks old.. i give them sand they eat it all up hahhaha.. i give them bread, watermelon.. and not cooked oat meal as treats so far..

 

[MEchickenfarmer33]

my chickens FAVORITES are lettuce, tomatoes, bananas, oatmeal, spinach, and mealworms

 

[centrarchid]

For chicks with at least the head covered in down (< 6 weeks old for most breeds), the ideal diet is dominated by insects and small amounts of tender rapidely growing greens, the plant materials especially as chicks get to older end of range. Mine will also consume small vertebrates (frogs, toads, lizards and snakes) by they time they are four weeks old. They will pass up any ground diet to consume the animal prey.