Treats for chicks and other food questions.

[KimbosKluckers]

@Sally PB
I did the mash snack today too. After 15 minutes of my arm tiring, one actually ate and another one “thought” about it (sorry for the music, they seem to like it)

 

[KimbosKluckers]

And their first dusting a couple days ago

 

[MIchickenlady]

My chicks are almost 3 weeks old. Last week was their first time having some crumbled mealworms and a tray of sand for grit (I take this out after a couple hours) Have done this twice now and they love it. Is there anything else they can have at this age? Should I even be doing mealworms yet? How often? Should the sand box be left in the brooder? And how old should they be when I introduce adult food instead of crumbles? I’m thinking I read 16 weeks?
Thank you!!

I've broken up plain popcorn into tiny pieces as a treat for my baby chicks-they love it! I wait a couple weeks before giving mealworms, then i break up a few every few days, not much. It's fun to throw half a meal worn in and watch them all run around and chase the chick who picks it up lol

 

[KimbosKluckers]

I've broken up plain popcorn into tiny pieces as a treat for my baby chicks-they love it! I wait a couple weeks before giving mealworms, then i break up a few every few days, not much. It's fun to throw half a meal worn in and watch them all run around and chase the chick who picks it up lol

Oh yum! And they’re so funny! Thank you!

 

[Apis mellifera]

I rip a chunk of weeds/grass with the roots and some dirt attached and give it to chicks.

 

[Maddcatter]

I will feed them hard boiled egg yolk. Maybe some lettuce or spinach (starting at 2-3 weeks, ay earliest), but then I make sure I have some grit for them too. The grit won't hurt them (and I literally use sand from my yard).
I also like to make sure they're socialized, as when they get older, there's a lot of reasons to possibly be handling them, and I find it better if they don't freak out when that happens.
Keep in mind full sized chickens supposedly eat 1.5 ounces of feed a day, so your chicks shouldn't get much in the way of treats. I try to make sure they don't get more than a couple of mouthfuls a day. Yolks as treats I figure are a safe bet, as it's literally how they get nutrients when first hatched.
Congrats on the start of your chicken math! You're doing really well at arming yourself with information!

 

[NatJ]

Keep in mind full sized chickens supposedly eat 1.5 ounces of feed a day, so your chicks shouldn't get much in the way of treats.

What age are they estimated to eat that amount of food?
The most common estimate I see is 4 ounces per day for an adult laying hen.

 

[Maddcatter]

What age are they estimated to eat that amount of food?
The most common estimate I see is 4 ounces per day for an adult laying hen.

I apologize, you're correct. They can hold 1.5 ounces into their crop at a time.

 

[NatJ]

I apologize, you're correct. They can hold 1.5 ounces into their crop at a time.

I figured there must be some age that does eat 1.5 ounces in a day, so I was just wondering what age it was

But how much in the crop at a time also makes sense for that amount.

 

[Maddcatter]

I figured there must be some age that does eat 1.5 ounces in a day, so I was just wondering what age it was

But how much in the crop at a time also makes sense for that amount.

Yeah, I had mixed up the numbers... All my chickens free feed, and the last time I had been looking at feed amounts it was because a teenaged pullet had sour crop.

Supposedly at about 6 weeks they eat 1.5 oz/per day... According to the google search I just did, because you posed an interesting question.