what can i feed my 4 week old chicks?

[whatsup chickenbutt]

Can i give them any treats? Ive never had babies before. Right now they are on a chick starter mash. What else can they have?
thanks,

 

[gritsar]

If you haven't seen it yet, the treats chart is located here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

Trying to remember back to four weeks. Mine got plain, low-fat yogurt, crushed cheerios, and our yard was overrun with crickets about that time so they got those as well.
Remember to offer chick grit when you start offering treats. This may be just me, but I believe in only giving small amounts of treats when they are young; not more than 10% of their daily intake. They need the complete nutrition of their chick starter, but just like human peeps they'll fill up on the other stuff if you let them.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

if you feed them anything other than the chick crumbles/mash, make sure and cut it up into little pieces.

 

[cmom]

Chickens do not have teeth. Their food goes, as is, into the crop, where it is slowly funneled into a very small " stomach" for some digestive additives--then to the Gizzard, where it is 'chewed', that is, ground into material that can be digested as it moves into the intestines and so on. The Gizzard is best able to break down whole grains and other chunky bits that they eat when full of grit. Longest lasting grit is Granite, that lasts well. All other rock and stone is so much softer, that it wears down fast and that is why granite grit is best choice, works really well for best utilization of feeds. My baby chicks are given free choice and they choose it with pleasure, baby grit is fine Granite, as soon as they are given anything besides Starter Crumbles. Their tiny gizzards are at optimum function at an early age.

 

[shellsient]

Hi there. Shell from Aussie here. This is my very first post.
My chicks go crazy for 2 minute noodles!! They act like they have found a worm,
and run around to get away from the others.
It's very funny to watch.
Cheers to all fellow breeders.

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

thanks everyone,
I guess then, there really are no limits beyond what the older chickens eat, as long as the food is small enough and they are offered grit.
I just tried to give them crushed cheerios and small blades of grass, and they all huddled in the corner trying to get as far away as possible just in case it jumped up and tried to get them....

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

and

shellsient!

 

[BFeathered]

Sounds like you're having fun already! Mine (5wk and 8wk) already do extremely entertaining things with yogurt (plain nonfat), string cheese, grapes(cut up), mixed veggies and whole grain bread crusts.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yeah, that's the way they are with new foods when they are young. Just leave it in there for awhile. Sooner or later one brave soul will try it, the others will see that chick didn't die a horrible death and join in.