What kind of cat food for chicks?

[Chickens-246]

I need to give one of my chicks a protein boost. I tried dried kitten food, crushed dry and wet. She won't eat it, my hens will eat the same kitten food I tried on the chick.

What brand, type, dry or wet, flavor will chicks eat?

 

[chickerdoodle]

Why not mealworms or crickets instead? They are a more natural food, high in protein and they may like them better!

Cat food has some ingredients including salt that chicks should not have. Most pet stores have live foods.

 

[wildorchid053]

how about a boiled egg yolk i would think that would be better

 

[noodleroo]

You would be shocked at what is in commercial cat food; there's a really good article about it at naturalrearing.com. I'd look for another protein source.

 

[elmo]

Is there some particular reason you're wanting to supplement protein for one of your chicks?

We had one hatchling that needed a boost on her first day in life; she got left behind in the nest when the hen led the others off. We hand brooded her and offered her hard boiled egg yolk on the advice of our chicken vet, and slipped her back under her hen that night. In the morning, she was fine.

 

[Chickens-246]

I was thinking more in the line of dry cat food because they can eat it 24 hours a day without rotting or crawling away.

She is the runt and has turned into a vicious feather plucker.

 

[xyresicchick]

i gave my 3 day old chicks 2 worms last night on their square of aluminum foil... they freaked out at first, terrified of the worm, backing away, and running for the corner of their brooder....

then after about 10 minutes of it trying to crawl away and into the bedding (and me repeatedly putting it back on the foil) one brave one started pecking at one. after about a half hour, they were each taking turns pecking at them... still unsure. after an hour they started going back and forth between ignoring the worms and looking at them with their heads sideways...


suddenly one grabbed the worm off of the foil... and RAN with it, peeping like the most excited chick in the world! the other chicks chased him! going "I WANT THAT THING!"

its like when a little kid picks up a toy another kid is ignoring and they start freaking out saying "HEY! I WAS PLAYING WITH THAT!!!!!!" when they really weren't.

well they realized there was still that other worm, and another chick grabbed that one. the chase was on until the chicks who grabbed the worms swallowed them whole! totally insane! i couldn't believe they could fit that whole worm in them! little bantam babies! amazing. and totally hilarious.

also, worms = pure protein!