Treats/Foods

[MrsBarefoot]

This is a pic I found On google, a hen and a rooster. Maybe the top is a roo and bottom a hen in your pic?

Ooooo interesting.
I think you may be right!

Will he be okay with our other Roo as they get older?

 

[tribalacres]

Ooooo interesting.
I think you may be right!

Will he be okay with our other Roo as they get older?

From what we’ve experienced we keep our roosters separate from the hens. They fight occasionally, but nothing like when we let our Silkie Rooster and ayam cemani be with the girls it was mass hysteria. Some say it’s fine. We just choose to keep them separate cause once you add a female it’s WWE lol, so I guess it depends on the roo to hen ratio too and your personal reference, I know peoples opinions differ but I dont Like the idea of just giving roosters away why not build them something they need lovin’ and a good home too, of course if you have the space and zoning allows it

 

[dai2dao996]

I’m hoping that mine like one because I’m getting ours one. Don’t see how they can tolerate this years heat without one. It is just almost unbearably hot here. I would hate to lose them before they got started out in life good enough yet. They haven’t even been outdoors enough long. This heat is killing me and I have been used to it all my 5 decades of life and there have been some terrible many Deep South Summers which I could have traded for many winters in this place. Ugh! Some years the thought makes me sweat!

Yesterday was the 3rd day with the mister in the yard. They were all pecking the ground near it. They are getting used to it being there. Just about my whole yard is covered by trees so I don't think they need it, I just thought they might like it.

 

[rjohns39]

With regard to treats, you'll want to limit them to 10% of total diet or less. Most will say to wait to give chicks treats, but I don't. They get grit on day 1 and I'll introduce them to meal worms on day two. Around day 5 I'll give them a chunk of sod with dirt. Go sparingly on oats and barley, even though they are super foods, there is such a thing as "Too much of a good thing."

 

[MrsBarefoot]

Gave them watermelon today for the first time!
I received lots of "chicken eyes"
They all pecked at it a bit. I left it in their coop and I can see them through my window. The leghorns seem to really like it!
Our roo ate some too. The others keep coming back for it here and there.

 

[rjohns39]

Gave them watermelon today for the first time!
I received lots of "chicken eyes"
They all pecked at it a bit. I left it in their coop and I can see them through my window. The leghorns seem to really like it!
Our roo ate some too. The others keep coming back for it here and there.

Watermelon is wonderful in hot weather.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

Gave them watermelon today for the first time!
I received lots of "chicken eyes"
They all pecked at it a bit. I left it in their coop and I can see them through my window. The leghorns seem to really like it!
Our roo ate some too. The others keep coming back for it here and there.

Good idea and a reasonably priced one that is the easiest to chill and spread out to feed a lot of chickens to cool them off. Good choice. Hydrated them fast. Also not too much salt.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

Good idea and a reasonably priced one that is the easiest to chill and spread out to feed a lot of chickens to cool them off. Good choice. Hydrated them fast. Also not too much salt.

We got rain today also and it broke the heat and humidity some! Praise God!

 

[Gallinarium]

As long as you provide grit, you can start at pretty much any age. Anything but chick starter requires grit, including grass. I give mine watermelon, dandelion greens, plantain, mealworms, beetles, worms, celery leaves, strawberry tops, tomatoes that are just a bit too aged, and hard-boiled eggs. Pretty much anything I find outside, and table scraps. Keep in mind that you need to know what it is, and that they can have it. Also note that giving them a lot of treats either slows their growth a bit, or makes them fat, depending on how healthy it is. I don't see slower growth as something to cringe away from, as it can make them healthier as adults. Still, use good judgment.

 

[City Farmer Jim]

Our list of treats is pretty varied, raisins, tomatoes, yogurt, cottage cheese, corn(frozen and fresh) yogurt with scratch, yogurt with tomatoes, yogurt with corn, cottage cheese with scratch, cottage cheese with corn, cottage cheese with tomatoes...the yogurt is plain Greek. We are going to try watermelon soon...its been in the mid to high 90's for the last two weeks so they REALLY need a cool treat.