First Greens

Backyard Poultry

Snowflake the Brave

I was all too anxious for my new biddies to develop the taste for greens. They were no more than a week old when I first introduced greens in the brooder box. The chicks were very cautious at first, and kept their distance from the feared human hand. Only one Barred Rock chick, which came to be known as Snowflake, had the spunk to run up and sample whatever we put in. I think Snowflake became the guinea pig for the other chicks, since as soon as safety was apparent, the rush began!

Salad Bar

Soon all the chicks were pushing and squirming for a bite of the delicious green leaves. Dandelion leaves, chickweed, and clover were among their favorites. Chopped very small, of course, and held very still, in a hand that promised not to snatch up a chick in the action! It was so fun to feel the tiny, warm down feathers rubbing against my fingers as the chicks jostled and climbed over each other.

Predictably, some 'specialists' claim that chicks should be fed chick/grower feed only until they're almost grown hens. Only then can they be exposed to the dangerous bacteria and other various hazards of the outdoors. Somehow, every one of my chicks survived the daily 'dose of danger' from my backyard! Of course, you should be reasonably careful--never feed greens from chemical-treated lawns or poisonous plants.