treats OK for baby chicks?

[jewlz]

I just got 5 fuzzy butts in from MPC yesturday. They are doing great. I was wondering what types of treats, if any, could we give them right now (3 days old)? Also, how long can you hold them, to socialize them, before they should go back under their heat lamp? Will they get too cold if we hold them for too long? Thanks!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I'm new at this but I'll tell you what I've done. I gave them crumbled egg yolk right off the bat for a treat. I waited until they were about 3 weeks to give them tiny crickets, scrambled eggs and strawberries. I bought some parakeet grit, sifted out all the big chunks of the calcium carbonate and sprinkled it over the treats (except the crickets) before giving it to them.

I have 19 pullets so I can't spend tons of time holding each one individually. I like to pick each one up every day though, hold them close to my face, talk to them and love on them. Some like it, some don't mind, and some think it's pure torture!! I do have a couple of favorites and I've held them on my chest, covered partially with a blanket while I'm watching t.v. at night. My body temp is 98.6 so that's plenty warm.

Hope that gives you a little idea. I'm sure you'll get lots of experiences from others soon! Have fun with your chickies!!

 

[bel]

I wait to give treats until they are a week old, then start with scrambled eggs. I beat the eggs then microwave them and while still hot mash them with a fork to chop it up into bits for the chicks so they don't fight over he big pieces as much and step on eachother (in the brooders with larger numbers of chicks I worry about them stepping on eachother).

 

[Mervin]

I've been mashing up some hard-boiled eggs and letting them peck at it in my, freshly washed, hand. It's great fun. Some suggested that I try yogurt, they really don't care for it. They peck at it some if I put some starter crumbles on it, but they don't really seem to go after it. I have started them on parakeet grit too. And, the other day I picked some clovers out of the yard. At first, they picked at it and didn't eat it. A checked on them a couple hours later and it was gone. Oh yeah, mine are three weeks now.

 

[chicken_china_mom]

Mine are 4 weeks and 5 weeks. They started out together but the brooder wasn't big enough for all of them, so I moved the older chicks out into a separate brooder, and I've been taking them outside to experience grass and clover, and they LOVE it. I've also tossed some plain spaghetti noodles to them and plain white rice. They go nuts for it. I've started introducing spaghetti and rice to the younger chicks too, but I have not yet taken them outside because some of them are so tiny, and the weather hasn't been as nice as I would like. I was counting on it being nice today, but the winds are so high I can't even take the older ones out, they might blow away! I'm hoping the winds die down tomorrow, and if they do, I'm taking everyone outside. They'll have a blast. I still have some bantams that are super tiny and not feathering in a lot. I have one in particular that that is still almost the size it was when it hatched! But he or she is strong willed, and doing well, so I'm counting that chick out, lol. It's name is Velvet and it's only about as big as my thumb, and it's the same age as the other 4 week olds. Velvet has just the beginnings of wing feathers, but no tail, and no other feathers coming in. It's a teeny little Silkie mix, and I suspect the mom is OEGB cause I hear they make super tiny babies. I have 40+ chicks and I make a point of holding everyone and snuggling them as much as I possibly can. Of all the chicks I've hatched, a Barred Rock pullet I picked up at TSC is my favorite. Go figure. Her name is Hope and Hope sits with me for several hours every day. She gets upset and stands at the edge of the brooder staring at me until I come get her. She nestles down on my chest as I do my homework (going to online college), and I keep her with me til she gets hungry, or I need to go to the bathroom, then she goes back to the brooder. Roughly she spends about an hour with me a few times a day. But my kids have their favorites too and they snuggle various chicks, so everyone gets lovins. My older daughter has 3 Quail D'Anvers, a blue and two browns, and she adores them and carries them around snuggling them. They are so sweet and docile. I tend to run hotter than most people, I'm usually around 99.5 so the chicks love crawling up behind my hair and nestling down. Hope stretches out on my chest though and wants to be petted. I've held all my chicks from day one to get them used to being held, and so that they would recognize me and my children. I held them for shorter time periods as newly hatched babes, but I've extended how long I hold them for as time goes on. I also try to always make sure my hands are warm when I pick them up. It's easy to drop a chick's core temp if your hands are like ice. I have new babies set to hatch in just a few more days, and I can't wait to snuggle them too!

 

[crazyaboutchickens]

i've given my chicks treats from day 1here's a list:

Yogurt : NO IRON

english muffin moistened with a tiny bit if milk

hardboiled eggs mashed with a fork

GROUND DRY cat food : NOT WET


I think thats it : isn't that enough?

 

[OCD]

What about grit? Do you give it right away? Or wait? When does it matter?

 

[crazyaboutchickens]

i always give it right away