Too hot and/or too young for scratch??

[5isenough]

My 9 are 4 weeks old and in their coop and run. So far I've only fed them starter/grower mash and sand for grit, but I bought some scratch for a treat today, then started wondering if they are too young for scratch. Plus the temp here in Georgia is hovering around 100 degrees (Again) and I am worried it may be too hot for scratch. The babies are under a huge shade tree and aren't too hot, but I'm just wondering about the corn scratch.

 

[chicmom]

Hello! You've really got the right idea....scratch will raise the body temps of your chicks, and with this heat, I would probably pass on that for a while.....good news is that it keeps a long time......

If you really feel the need to give them a treat, a slice of watermelon or cantalope for them to peck at would be wonderful. Now, if you really want to see how they like the corn, maybe give them some before bedtime, if the weather cools down nicely where you live.....

I usually save scratch for a winter treat though.

 

[teach1rusl]

Some will say you should wait a few weeks before doing treats (not just scratch). But I gave mine treats starting at 2 weeks. As long as it's just a tiny bit of scratch tossed about, I don't think the "junkfood" would make a big difference with the heat we've been dealing with. I would get some larger grit first, even if it's just the parakeet type grit (unless they have access to small bits of rock in their new run???). It's a good time to get them use to the treat jar too. Keep your scratch in a cannister or jar that rattles when you shake it. Shake it each time before you give them a tiny bit. This will teach them to come running to you when you shake that cannister. It's always good to have a way to call your chickens to you when you need to.

 

[5isenough]

Thanks All...very good advice.