Trying not to kill my new chicks. Fed them salad greens..Need to worry?

[Tynkrbel]

Thank you all for your advice! I think I was giving them too many greens (a whole little tray). Should I remove the tray of grit from the brooder and just sprinkle it in there daily? I didn’t know that they can fill up on it. The second light is there only when my house is really cold. My house is large with vaulted ceilings so my indoor temps can get pretty low. Like 63 degrees and I noticed that the chicks were huddling in the warmer rather than coming out in the brooder area. I turn the light on at the other end until my house warms up and then turn it off. Usually about 15 minutes.

 

[Foster's Freehold]

Chicks will tell you when they are cold, they huddle up at the warmest spot in the brooder. By the time they are about half feathered, they won't need so much heat. Once they are fully feathered, you can wean them off heat altogether. The big rule is that they have to be dry to be warm. That down coat they wear isn't just for looks. A chicken's body temp is 104 F, so with dry feathers, and no draft, they'll do just fine.
You can put a bit of grit over their food or put a little container in it. If you drop in a chunk of sod, they will ferret it out of there. If you put in a container, make sure they always have feed so they don't get hungry and chow on the grit.