Just about 4 weeks old.

[matheny00]

Our babies are about 4 weeks old. They will be going out in the run with their brooder box and heater. When can they eat random stuff other than chick feed? We have Construction sand in the run do they need grit? And when can they get treats and fruits and veggies.
Thank you

 

[nuthatched]

I'd wait until six weeks, yes they need access to dirt to find the right size rocks. Sand is too fine.

 

[matheny00]

It's 3/8 construction sand full of small rocks extremely small to 3/8 mixed with sand

 

[rosemarythyme]

They can have treats and grit now but I'd keep the treats to a bare minimum since it doesn't take much to fill up a chick, and you want them mostly eating their feed for optimal growth.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Once they go outside, they'll be gettig plenty of "treats" in the form of grass and other vegetation plus a plethora of bugs and other living proteins. I personally would very much limit anything else lest they not eat enough of their commercial chick crumbles.

 

[Perris]

Our babies are about 4 weeks old. They will be going out in the run with their brooder box and heater. When can they eat random stuff other than chick feed? We have Construction sand in the run do they need grit? And when can they get treats and fruits and veggies.
Thank you

They can eat it now. These are 3 weeks old and they have never eaten any commercial chick feed. All they eat is what others on BYC are inclined to call 'treats' and what their broody forages for them. They have been on grass since they left the nest. Don't wait any longer; your chicks' developing gastro-intestinal tracts will thank you for some real food as soon as possible.

 

[matheny00]

Well, we got them outside in the coop and run. It was interesting watching them leave the brooder and huddle in a smaller space for about 10 minutes. The Zombie chick decided to explore and sure enough the rest followed. They seem happy and figured out how to fly. At what age do we clip the wings?

 

[nuthatched]

Well, we got them outside in the coop and run. It was interesting watching them leave the brooder and huddle in a smaller space for about 10 minutes. The Zombie chick decided to explore and sure enough the rest followed. They seem happy and figured out how to fly. At what age do we clip the wings?

Why do you need to clip their wings?

 

[matheny00]

Why do you need to clip their wings?

Well we want to let them out of the run also but need to control their flight

 

[nuthatched]

Well we want to let them out of the run also but need to control their flight

Unless the concern is flying over a fence, it's safer when free ranging to give them every advance to escape predators.