Treats for the youngns

[Tim Reid]

Can I give our chicks lettuce or other treats?

 

[Dawnclucks22]

Chickens can eat lots of different kinds of food including table scraps. Lettuce should be fine, but they also love mealworms and cereal!

 

[SandyinWI]

I will be the first to admit I am new to this but have read a lot of online information! If you give them anything that you would need to chew they need to have grit. Our first treat was plain yogurt on the tip of our fingers. They loved it and helps socialize them with us! I've kind of decided that while they are young treats are given out of our hands so they can learn we are friends! We also did dried meal worms, (not a fav), mashed hard boiled egg, but the biggest hit was cut up cooked spaghetti noodles. Boy did they think they had something there! Grab and run and squawk! Take it easy on treats though so they have plenty of room for needed nutrition!

 

[Tim Reid]

I will be the first to admit I am new to this but have read a lot of online information! If you give them anything that you would need to chew they need to have grit. Our first treat was plain yogurt on the tip of our fingers. They loved it and helps socialize them with us! I've kind of decided that while they are young treats are given out of our hands so they can learn we are friends! We also did dried meal worms, (not a fav), mashed hard boiled egg, but the biggest hit was cut up cooked spaghetti noodles. Boy did they think they had something there! Grab and run and squawk! Take it easy on treats though so they have plenty of room for needed nutrition!

What kind of grit? I'm sure there's commercially available, but is there anything else that can be used for grit? How and how much do you use?

 

[SandyinWI]

What kind of grit? I'm sure there's commercially available, but is there anything else that can be used for grit? How and how much do you use?

I was able to find chick grit at Tractor Supply but I've read others that use sand or parakeet grit. I sprinkle a little in their food but also put a small bowl of it out (which seems to just get filled with bedding). If I know I'm giving them a treat that needs it I offer some out of my hand first and they seem almost as excited about the grit as they are the treats! hahaha

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

Live meal worms are my chicks favorite treat. Just a couple each, though, and follow it up with offering some grit or just sprinkle it on their feed.

 

[DraftXJumper]

Can you give occasional treats to week-old chicks? We're trying to socialize them, as we have boys (7 & 9), and we're hoping the hens will grow up friendly and social. I was thinking the chicks might bond with the boys if they can give them the occasional treat.

 

[SandyinWI]

Can you give occasional treats to week-old chicks? We're trying to socialize them, as we have boys (7 & 9), and we're hoping the hens will grow up friendly and social. I was thinking the chicks might bond with the boys if they can give them the occasional treat.

I have a 10 year old son and that was my thinking. I am a first timer with chicks but we gave ours yogurt on our finger tip. Little messy but I think they are learning to trust us more when we hand feed them. We also did oatmeal, cooked small pieces of spaghetti, (that was the funniest, they really think they have something and the chase is on!) I tried dried meal worms but they didn't find them as interesting.

 

[SandyinWI]

Forgot to say.............don't forget the grit if you give them anything that seems like it would need to be "chewed"!! The first few times we gave grit that was a treat to them. They got very excited!

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

I waited until my chicks were three weeks old before I started giving them meal worms. I haven't tried any other treats yet. I was going to wait until eight weeks. This is my first time with chicks so I'm being cautious.

You can have your kids handfeed them their regular food. Chicks aren't picky about it. The key is patience; slow movements and don't surprise them. Let them come to you.