I bought 4 week old brahma chicks (my dream chicken) last week and Ive slowly been able to get them to eat from my hand and come running when I shake the mealworm bag, which I will say has been a good feat since they still wont come up to me if I don't have food. 
BUT these chicks will NOT (except for a couple of them) scratch in the dirt for snacks. I am used to chicks scratching at 2 weeks old. The chicks I hatched who are a week younger and one I picked up at the feed store to go with them (all different breeds), scratch scratch scratch. I have a jersey giant chick that is about their same age and she could scratch a drain ditch.
Ive found chickens Ive had in the past who were not good scratchers also not good layers. Not sure there is any science behind that just my own observations. They dont have to scratch to China or anything but I also would like to see them do more than just hang out at the feed dish and scarf.
So my question is: Is this the breed OR just this batch of chicks? I hatched out brahma chicks this weekend so I will be raising them from the get go and hopefully they will be tamer than the 4 week old chicks.
BUT these chicks will NOT (except for a couple of them) scratch in the dirt for snacks. I am used to chicks scratching at 2 weeks old. The chicks I hatched who are a week younger and one I picked up at the feed store to go with them (all different breeds), scratch scratch scratch. I have a jersey giant chick that is about their same age and she could scratch a drain ditch.Ive found chickens Ive had in the past who were not good scratchers also not good layers. Not sure there is any science behind that just my own observations. They dont have to scratch to China or anything but I also would like to see them do more than just hang out at the feed dish and scarf.
So my question is: Is this the breed OR just this batch of chicks? I hatched out brahma chicks this weekend so I will be raising them from the get go and hopefully they will be tamer than the 4 week old chicks.
