when can we feed them treats?

[Scraggles]

Hi We have 4, 7 week old chickens,( whether they are hens or roos is to be determined), when can we feed them treats. We have been feeding chicken feed from a local organic farm.

 

[cpchicks]

You can feed them treats anytime, as long as it is something healthy for them. It's good for them to get used to eating a variety of things. I start giving my chicks yogurt at a very young age. Kitchen leftovers such as scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, fruit, veggies, salad, scraps of bread etc. are also good. They will love the variety. Be sure nothing is moldy.

 

[AKsmama]

Make sure you are either providing them grit or they are on soil so they can pick up grit when you start feeding treats

Poultry grit from the feed store is fine, but not parakeet grit, that has too much added calcium for growing chicks. Construction sand is ok too, but not playground sand, as that is too fine and soft.

If you've never given them treats before, they may be scared of anything new. The first few times I offered yogurt to my first batch of chicks, you would have thought I was trying to poison them! They screeched and ran through it, then looked at their feet like, "Yuck, what is this stuff?" They eventually got it. I would suggest buying/catching small crickets or grasshoppers or mealworms for their first treats, then sit back and laugh at the game of "chick football!"

 

[Sorin]

At that age, treats are definitely a go!

as long as they have access to grit or are outdoors! Mine love yogurt, cut up grapes, cantaloupe, kale and most any green I find in the lawn to give them like dandelion greens!

 

[Jerseycoop]

Mine are 6 weeks old and I gave them fresh strawberries. They wouldn't go near it at first, but than they began casing each other to nab the last one!

 

[MommaOrp]

My chicks have had beetroot, rice and tomatoes today and they are only 2 weeks but they live with their momma and she mulches it up for them, just make sure its chopped enough for their digestive systems to handle and its all the good healthy stuff