Treats suggestions for babies?

[mom2jedi]

My australorps are less than a week old, what kind of treats can they have? They've already eaten a couple moths that have flown into their brooder (that was fun to watch!) but was hoping to get a few suggestions for what else they can have. I've read the list of treats for adult chickens but didn't know if those are okay for babies.

Thanks!

 

[bigredfeather]

Mealworms. A member on here (Clay in Iowa) has been giving his young chicks mealworms. He says they go crazy over them. As a added bonus, mealworms are very high in protein, which gives the chicks a little boost. You can buy mealworms at most pet stores that have reptiles, or you can order them online. They're relatively cheap online until you add the shipping.

I have given chicks some plain yogurt from time to time. I mix it with a small amount of quick oats. They will probably look at you like you have given them something poision at first, but once they dig into it, they go crazy. Any treat you give youngsters should be in small quantities at first. I have also given chicks earthworms I find in the garden. Same concept as mealworms, but you can usually find them in your backyard.

ETA: I would say any critter you can find out in your yard (crickets, grasshoppers, ect...) would be fine treats. It's also some cheap entertainment.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

 

[bibliophile birds]

my 8 day old chicks got their first treat last night- mealworms (aka superworms). i cut them into 1/3s so they were easier to manage and went further and then sat them in a little lid. almost as soon as my hand was clear, the feeding frenzy began! it was hilarious!

my Orpingtons, clearly the most adventurous of my chicks, dove for them and went scrambling about the brooder. all the others started squawking and running after them. it was the loudest, funniest game of keep away i've ever seen! i don't think they all actually got a piece of worm, but the experience was surely good for them all.

the best part: they instantly passed out, dead asleep! for some reason, my chicks have a tendency to stay up late, but after their mealworm mellay they were beat!

 

[gritsar]

My chicks first treats, besides bugs they caught themselves, were chopped hard boiled eggs and plain, low fat yogurt.
Both in small quantities.

 

[juliect]

Ahh, memories....
The first couple of times I gave mealworms to my Favs chicks, the chicks trampled each other trying to get away

It took several weeks and several tries for them to realize mealworms weren't evil incarnate. They were also afraid of yogurt, grit, lettuce, etc, etc

Now they'll eat anything if its slow enough.

 

[bibliophile birds]

i just cut up a few more mealworms for the chicks and discovered another thing about them: my silkies are much smarter than the others! the silkies are the only ones that can get under the feed trough since it's up on bricks. they just steal a bit o' worm and run under the feeder to enjoy it in peace while the others try to figure out how to get their piece back!

eta: i thought my silkies were smart until one just got stuck inside the feeder... silly little chick!

 

[txchickie]

Yogurt, oats, scrambled eggs, steamed pureed carrots...

This summer my day old chicks went immediatley outside into the baby pen, so they got grass and bugs galore!

 

[mom2jedi]

Thank you all for the suggestions, I'm going to have to get mealworms for sure... my kids will love it! They caught a moth that flew into their brooder the other day and it was hilarious!

Thanks again, can't wait to try them all!

Oh, one last question, if bugs are a treat they get once and a while, do I need to start giving them grit at the same time? If not, when should they start having it added to their diet?

 

[Cetawin]

Oh wow...they love scrambled egg, grapes cut into pieces, apple cut into pieces, applesauce with starter mixed in, yogurt, cooked oatmeal, mealworms.

Just do not give them too much...a little treat each day will not hurt them but they need their starter more.

 

[juliect]

Quote:
Yes to the grit. Once they start eating something other than their starter, they need grit to help digestion.

Good suggestion Cetawin. My crew LOVES scrambled eggs or hard-boiled eggs smashed up. Mine don't like yogurt, but they adore cottage cheese so I add beneficial bacteria to some cottage cheese once a week (I just break open a capsule from the same bottle I take & add part of the contents to the cc - this works great for dogs & cats too)

Here is a link to Buff Hooligans's treat chart...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart