Treats

[Little Peeps]

Hi,
I just brought home 8 little chicks, 4 BO and 4 GLW
they are doing well in the brooder, my ? is in my research I come across different opinions on when you can feed treats/veggies to chicks, some say 2 wks others 6. Does anyone have any advice?
Thanks

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Personally, I don't give mine any treats until they are able to move out of the brooder. I swear when you give them more than just chick feed they stink more!! Plus I think they should be a few months old before they get goodies

 

[columbiacritter]

When they are out with a mama hen they are eating a wide variety of stuff so at a week I start introducing new foods. Crushed cheerios, weeds and clover from the garden, small earthworms. I don't give them solid bugs like crickets or mealworms until they are 3 months old.

 

[firedove]

I start my chicks on grit at 5 days old. Then at 8 days old I start giving them the buds from heads of broccoli, just a little once a day. As they grow I introduce larger treats. I find that not only does it not hurt the chicks, but it also gives you the food bribe advantage when it comes to bonding early. I didn't do it with one of my batches of chicks and they are all terrified of me. My group of chicks before that got all the bribes and became super friendly very quickly. Sure they just loved me for the food I brought, but isn't that what chicken love is all about?

 

[Peeplperson]

At 3-4 weeks, I've given the chicks plain yogurt (not cold from the fridge!) and some crumbled, cooked egg yolk. (Both suggestions from many BYC members) Not much, just a taste, and always from my hand or fingers. Now they look forward to having my hand drop down into the brooder, and they're growing at an almost alarming rate, so they seem pretty healthy.

Good luck!