When/what to give to chicks as a treat?

[kittykorat]

My chciks are 2 1/2 weeks old. When can I start giving them treats.. and what should I start with?

 

[Mrs Chickens]

Possible a little young for big stuff but porrage oats with or without milk, small piece of cheese (not to much just like us its good in small amounts), mix some corn in with their feed that good anyway for protein & growth. They may not eat it straight away but they will eventually. (by the time they are 3 to 4 weeks)

Pick some grass, small piece of bacon, scamble egg is a very good way to get protine into any chciken and they love it when they are a bit older do the egg then add the shell after baking it in the oven for 15min crush it up yum they will love it. Good calcium

All will be a bit new and unknown just like a baby and something they will love and other not - trail and error.

My chicks are 4 weeks old tomorrow and also really like small snails but Ive got to hunt for them if you are really into them having a treat

Happy Chickens

 

[HEChicken]

For me the treats started quite by accident. A few days after getting some 1-week-old chicks, I noticed that my Basil was being attacked by something. DD and I discovered it was covered in little brown beetles. We picked off every one we could find, putting them in a jar as we went. Dumped them into the brooder and the chicks huddled in the back for a second, scared of them. But as the beetles started crawling around, something triggered in their little brains and one of the braver ones ran over and grabbed it in her mouth. Then the fun started. She had never had food move before, so when she felt the beetle wriggling in her beak, she gave a squawk of surprise and started running in circles. The second chick to grab a beetle reacted exactly the same way. But after that it was a feeding frenzy and there were excited little squawks of "I got one, I got one" every time they found one in the pine shavings. They would then desperately try to find a private corner in which to consume it while the rest of them gave chase.

Since then, we regularly peruse our vegie garden and have found a variety of caterpillars and beetles eating our food. They are meticulously removed from the plants by hand and when done, we take them into the backyard (chicks have been outside now for 3 weeks or so), and at the sight of an outstretched hand, they all come pelting across the yard to see what we've found for them this time.

 

[possumqueen]

Drop a broccolli floret in the brooder and get out of the way!

 

[Kriquet]

Quote:
Seriously? A broccoli floret? What about cauliflower? Hmmm - I need to go check my frig...

 

[Mom2Cool]

we've given them those little white moths from the lights at night in the brooder too & they LOVE that. I imagine the chicks out free ranging w/their momma are getting bugs & I always feel a little guilty that the lil ones stuck w/me miss out on that part of life.

 

[Tala]

Always offer them grit when you feed anything besides crumbles.

Mine didn't care for broccoli at all, but bugs were the bomb!! Also the smaller sized mealworms would be good.

Just don't overdo it too many treats in one day.

 

[nwgirl]

I was feeding mine yogurt to my chicks when they were a couple weeks old. Small amounts mind you...perhaps a teaspoon between 5 chicks. They went nutz for it! I was also adding grit to their feed. From there it was small amounts of cheese and egg.

The Red Roost Inn web page.

 

[rachiegirl]

As they get older they will eat just about anything!! You want some fun, give them some mac and cheese! Make sure they have some grit when you give treats. They can eat/do a lot more than we give them credit for. When left with Mom, they will eat just about anything she shows them.