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Feeding Chicks?

blackbird12

blackbird12

Chicken Junky
As is Obvious, I breed chickens/hatch chicks
I used to sell extras, but I was wondering...

Is it healthy/okay to feed chicks sometimes? :confused:
 
I feed quail and chicks all teh time. They are lower in fat and have some great supplemental qualitys!
 
If you've easy access to them, go for it. I hear corns love them. The only concern, really, is that the corn may develop such a strong preference for chicks it refuses mice. This is a legitimate concern, however, many people swap in chicks occasionally with no issue.

I'm probably going to through a few chicks to my adult every once in a while.

I do hear it makes their poop stink something awful though!
 
Emily1188 said:
If you've easy access to them, go for it. I hear corns love them. The only concern, really, is that the corn may develop such a strong preference for chicks it refuses mice. This is a legitimate concern, however, many people swap in chicks occasionally with no issue.

I'm probably going to through a few chicks to my adult every once in a while.

I do hear it makes their poop stink something awful though!
Click to expand...

I'll feed sparingly :) As for the poop, The actual chicks probably stink more :laugh01:
 
I switch back and forth all the time - depends on what I have. Some prefer one or the other, but most eat whatever I give them. The poop may stink a little more, or be a little looser, but not enough to matter.

Each prey species will offer something the other doesn't (not in the same ratio, at least), so "variety is the spice of life", lol! I say go for it, but not 100% of the time.

Interesting article comparing nutrient values in various species:
http://rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_03.asp
 
More for my own sake but also so you can see.

Common prey types for corns from the list Kathy posted.
Proximate composition and energy content of whole prey on a dry matter (DM) basis. Values expressed as weighted means or as raw data when "n" was not stated.

Prey species n DM% Crude Protein% CrudeFat% Ash% Gross energy kcal/g Notes
Mouse, domestic
Mus domesticus 287 19.1 64.2 17.0 9.7 4.87ª Neonatal, <3 g

Mouse, domestic
Mus domesticus 292 18.2 44.2 30.1 8.5 6.65ª Juvenile, 3-10 g

Mouse, domestic
Mus domesticus 108 32.7 55.8 23.6 11.8 5.25ª Adult or >10 g

Rat
Rattus norvegicus 5 20.8 57.9 23.7 12.2 5.30ª Neonatal, <10 g

Rat
Rattus norvegicus 5 30.0 56.1 27.5 14.8 5.55ª Juvenile, 10-50 g

Rat
Rattus norvegicus 51 33.9 61.8 32.6 9.8 6.37ª Adult or >50 g

Quail, Japanese
Coturnix coturnix 18 34.6 71.5 31.9 9.9c 6.79ª

Gecko, fox
Hemidactylus garnoti 5 25.3 NA NA NA

Lizard
Coleonyx variegatus 151 28.8 NA NA 15.9 5.50d Nineteen species

Lizard, anolis
Anolis carolinensis 13 29.4 67.4 NA NA NA Adult
 
kathylove said:
I switch back and forth all the time - depends on what I have. Some prefer one or the other, but most eat whatever I give them. The poop may stink a little more, or be a little looser, but not enough to matter.

Each prey species will offer something the other doesn't (not in the same ratio, at least), so "variety is the spice of life", lol! I say go for it, but not 100% of the time.

Interesting article comparing nutrient values in various species:
http://rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_03.asp
Click to expand...

Thanx, Sounds good! :spinner:
 
Back when we used to breed large pythons such as Burmese and a few others, we occasionally fed large chickens and ducks. I found that the ducks were more difficult for the snakes to get down. Seems like the wings and breast were somehow "blockier" or stiffer - not sure what. But it seemed like the same size duck didn't go down as easily as a chicken. Never tried baby ducks or goslings - too expensive! So I don't know how the babies would compare to chicks.
 
The poop may stink a little more, or be a little looser, but not enough to matter.
Click to expand...
LOL! It sure matters in the lounge of a 2-bedroom flat, when it's produced 10 minutes before the parents are due over for tea!! All the open windows in the world won't clear the resulting fug in time!
 
kathylove said:
Back when we used to breed large pythons such as Burmese and a few others, we occasionally fed large chickens and ducks. I found that the ducks were more difficult for the snakes to get down. Seems like the wings and breast were somehow "blockier" or stiffer - not sure what. But it seemed like the same size duck didn't go down as easily as a chicken. Never tried baby ducks or goslings - too expensive! So I don't know how the babies would compare to chicks.
Click to expand...

That's probably cause ducks have a large, flat keel bone. It's kinda shaped like a shield, and helps balance the ducks in water :)
 
Yes - I think that is the reason. I remember a big bone like that. It was back in the '80s that we fed them, so it was difficult to remember just what the problem was. Haven't kept any big Burmese since at least the early '90s, and hadn't fed ducks a long time before that.
 
bitsy said:
LOL! It sure matters in the lounge of a 2-bedroom flat, when it's produced 10 minutes before the parents are due over for tea!! All the open windows in the world won't clear the resulting fug in time!
Click to expand...



Lmao!!!!:laugh01:
 
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