Treats for chicks? When?

[Mamasan7]

Can you give treats to chicks, like lettice, peelings etc and if so, when?

Also, my dd asked me this and I don't want to appear stupid, but do chickens play with toys? We have a parakeet and he loves the bells and plastic balls in his cage, do chickens?

 

[mstricer]

I don't give my babies anything for a couple weeks, then its usually yoqurt mixed with oatmeal, and I make sure they have chick grit, I really dont think they play with toys, they usually start just chickie digs in bedding. But when they get just alittle older try little mealworms great fun watching them with it they will run around so no one else can take it from them, they sometimes do it with bedding that is a different color from rest

 

[Mamasan7]

Chick grit? Oops, I forgot that. Do they need it now or when they are older?

 

[mstricer]

When they start eating things other then start and grow feed. I only give it to them when i start them on treats

 

[teach1rusl]

Your chicks won't need grit until you start giving them treats. I would give my chicks (from the time they were a week old or so) a little hard boiled egg chopped up. Good protein, plus easy to digest. I'd avoid regular scraps as treats for a while. Yogurt is good too (mine didn't like it when they were little). You can just sprinkle the grit over their crumbles like salting your food.

 

[Crazyland]

There are a couple threads on treats already.

I started treats at 2 weeks. mealworms and crickets
They also have a roost, which is just a stick from my woods. At first I left it on the ground and slowly over the weeks I move it higher. They LOVE it.
Also mc'd toys have been used. Toilet paper rolls.
I do have parakeet toys but they are not very interested in them. They ring the bell once in a while.

 

[rancher hicks]

Chicks are babies. Please pick up a book at your local library it will help alot. I personally do not give chicks anything until they are much older. I don't know if they can be interacted w/ like a parakeet. I believe parakeets are smarter than chickens.

 

[Mamasan7]

Thanks so much for replying, I'll remember to check other topics before I post, sorry
I tend to over post and then disapear for awhile so I don't check like I should, thanks for the reminder!

 

[Crazyland]

You will also find that there are people who say no to meal worms. A bit of a debate on them.

Oh mine have also ate the boiled egg. loved it.
Dislike sprouts and broccoli.
I guess they are just carnivores since they don't like their veggies. lol

At the moment my 3 week olds are on their roost, which is just 2 inches off the ground, sleeping. I should put in a second roost as the one they have isn't enough for all of them.