When Can Chicks Start Eating Veggies?

Mom is the best teacher That’s true with both people and chickens

While a mother hen is teaching her chicks, she can also instruct observant people

Years ago, most baby chicks had the good fortune to have a mom  In those preindustrial days broody hens patiently sat on fertile eggs for 21 days until they miraculously hatched into peeping babies Then, for the next couple of months, she kept them warm, protected them from danger, and taught them how to choose a healthy and balanced diet

That’s not common today  Nearly all baby chicks are

How to Stop Egg Eating

Most families tend a small backyard flock for the precious eggs hens generously give each day  Few human foods are as delicious or nutrient packed  Add the pride of caring for productive chickens as a benefit beyond food

Sometimes problems arise  Once in a while a hen becomes a thief She’ll eat eggs in the nest, making a mess in the process  It usually starts when a hen spots a cracked or broken egg in the nest, pecks the nutritious contents, and decides it’s a delicious addition to her diet An egg eater is a parasite that can’t be tolerated

Prevention

VIDEO: Broody Hen Chicks and Integrating Them Into the Coop