2 month old silkie wont eat

Chick1043

Songster
8 Years
Jun 5, 2011
2,021
12
176
Idaho
I'm really worried about my month old silkie. I have NEVER seen him with a full crop. Its always empty and if there is something in it its water or meal worms.
I bought him some meal worms to try to encourage eating. I gave him a couple black beans (dont know if those are bad for chickens) and he loved them. I have him a couple chick sized pieces of chicken and he LOVED it. I also gave him a little bit of bread, he wasn't very fond of that.
His food right now is the medicated purina chick feed. Hes eating medicated since they were out of regular. He's never tried the regular though...Is that a bad thing? Perhaps they taste different?
I have raised about 20 chickens to adulthood and all of them have had full crops, but not this one. He feels a little skinny, but when I look at pictures of other 2 month old silkie chicks he looks normal. He acts like a normal chick. He is a little energetic so maybe he just really works it off??? Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks :/
 
Medicated chick food is fine. I don't know if it tastes different from regular, I haven't tried it
smile.png
Beans is good food for chickens, but you should cook it first. Try not to feed too many treats, he needs to eat regular chick food to get all the nutrients he needs. If he's growing and gaining weight and is energetic and healthy I wouldn't worry. Weigh him and another chick of the same age (if you have one) and compare the weights.
 
Medicated chick food is fine. I don't know if it tastes different from regular, I haven't tried it
smile.png
Beans is good food for chickens, but you should cook it first. Try not to feed too many treats, he needs to eat regular chick food to get all the nutrients he needs. If he's growing and gaining weight and is energetic and healthy I wouldn't worry. Weigh him and another chick of the same age (if you have one) and compare the weights.
Thanks for your reply! I'm not so worried anymore:) He's an "only bird" so I don't really have another to compare him to. I have other adult birds outside, its just too cold for him still.
I know its kind of bad to keep an "only chick" because they can get lonely and they imitate each other. I was planning on getting others but never worked out. (long story) But other than him not eating as much as ive seen, hes seems fine. He is the only silkie I have ever had. Perhaps its the breed? Or maybe just his personality?
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom