Second chicken question

[canesisters]

There has been a LOT of discussion about this over in BYC.
The final opinion that I came away with is that regular old grocery store ACV has enough benefits to make it plenty valuable. Some even say that the 'mother' doesn't actually provide anything other than the ability to make your own ACVw/mother.
I had my chicks on grocery store brand from about week 2 until somewhere around 8months old. I ran out and didn't pick anymore up - next thing I knew I had smelly, gunky chicken butts and DIRTY eggs. A week or so back on ACV and yogurt/oatmeal and they were back to normal. I now keep a 1/2 gal tucked in behind the feed can so I don't have an excuse to fill their water and not add it.

Isn't if funny how complicated this gets? You would think... get chicks - provide heat, feed & water - wait for eggs.... LOL!

 

[catjac1975]

next time bring them a piece of lettuce or some treats that get their attention. they'll eventually come running when you want them. btw, you can give them the lettuce anytime. meal worms, dried or freshly frozen are good treats for them once they get over a week or 2 of age. its fun to watch them get a hold of a worm and start playing 'football' with it chasing each other around the pen.

i also learned that if i go to pick up a chick it is more than likely to poop on me within the first 5 seconds i got to grab them. :/ and their aim is usually for my clothes.

Should I be giving them grit yet? All they are eating right now is the chick starter. They are 10 days old.

 

[so lucky]

Most chicken people say you don't have to give the grit until you start giving them treats or other food besides the chick starter. But it wouldn't hurt anything to put a little sand or caged bird grit in there. I think regular chicken grit might be too big for them right now. And about the ACV with the mother, if you have any kind of health food store around you, they will have it. Bragg's is the best known brand. If you have to get it without the mother, try to find some that says unpasturized. It is my understanding that the pasturization process kills off the good beasties that you want in it.