Treats for the littles?

[jwgowin]

Hi all,
I know that the vast majority of chickens' diets should be be chicken food and not treats like fruits and veggies including kitchen scraps but I was wondering if one can give babies little treats already or, if not, at what age it is healthy to do so.
Thank you!

 

[DobieLover]

Hi all,
I know that the vast majority of chickens' diets should be be chicken food and not treats like fruits and veggies including kitchen scraps but I was wondering if one can give babies little treats already or, if not, at what age it is healthy to do so.
Thank you!

I hold off on the treats until after 2 weeks old and a few days after offering them a container of chick grit separate from their feed. Then, I start by giving them a chunk of sod from the yard. This is always met with great enthusiasm.
Then I will introduce small broken pieces of meal worms keeping everything to a very low roar. This is to teach them that humans come bearing great gifts.

 

[chkva]

I give my chicks kale, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, strawberries... Mine are also in an outdoor run with a coop so they have access to dirt and sand 24/7

 

[danceswithronin]

I start giving treats around two weeks old, whenever they seem really healthy and active and ready for a diversion. I usually start by just pulling up clumps of grass out of the yard and throwing them in there along with a scattering of chick grit/starter feed, and then as they get a little bit bigger I move into giving them stuff like salad greens, live mealworms/crickets, dried strawberries chopped into little pieces, yogurt with chopped herbs, scrambled eggs, crumbled biscuits, whatever. The older they get, the more things I let them try.

 

[jwgowin]

Awesome. Thank you.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I give treats at one week, considering what Mama Hen would be introducing them to. Grass clippings (chopped up as to not get stuck in the little crop), real bugs and worms, dried mealworms, stuff like that. Some folks put a box of dirt in the brooder so they can dirt bathe, that's great too if you have the space!

 

[Ohiohomesteader33]

Hi all,
I know that the vast majority of chickens' diets should be be chicken food and not treats like fruits and veggies including kitchen scraps but I was wondering if one can give babies little treats already or, if not, at what age it is healthy to do so.
Thank you!

Hi I recommend feeding them live pinhead crickets

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Mine are around 2 weeks, and they go nuts for sod, lettuce, and scrambled eggs. It's quite a show! They do seem more interested in me now that treats are a possibility.