5.5 wk old barred rocks won’t eat starter feed unless it’s powder!!!

[Giersons]

Hello!
I am new to raising chicks from the start, and when they first hatched they couldn’t eat the scratch and peck starter feed because the size of the feed. So I had to grind it up in a blender. I periodically tried reintroducing the unground feed and they want nothing to do with it… so here we are 5.5wks and about to go outside to the coop tomorrow and all we want is powder! They don’t want any meal worms nothing- no texture anything! When they go outside they live catching and eating the bugs so I know they can do it! Complete opposite problem of what I am reading everyone else has lol

Help! I think I created a problem for myself…

 

[MadGardener]

Is it a pellet feed or individual grain pieces? Have you tried soaking it with some plain water?

A lot of folks here report wonderful results fermenting their feed if that is an option for you. If you have a pest proof spot with fairly even temps and don't mind a little odor.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I always soften my feed for chicks keeps them from making a mess and they like it better

 

[Giersons]

Is it a pellet feed or individual grain pieces? Have you tried soaking it with some plain water?

A lot of folks here report wonderful results fermenting their feed if that is an option for you. If you have a pest proof spot with fairly even temps and don't mind a little odor.

It is individual grain-like pieces. They are really tiny and I would think they’d have no problem eating them by now. I bought a different brand of feed just to try and it was smaller pieces and still nothing.

I have not tried fermentation but I can certainly try that! Thank you

 

[3KillerBs]

Have you actually put the feed into their dish and walked away to let them eat or be hungry?

Chickens are always nervous about something new, but if the feed is in their regular dish where they know that feed should be and you practice a little tough love they'll eat when they're hungry.

 

[NatJ]

Have you actually put the feed into their dish and walked away to let them eat or be hungry?

Chickens are always nervous about something new, but if the feed is in their regular dish where they know that feed should be and you practice a little tough love they'll eat when they're hungry.

Or even sit out two dishes, one with each kind of feed, and leave it for a few days.

Sometimes they will try it and decide to eat it, when they have enough time to think about it. You don't always have to withhold other feed to force them to try new things.

 

[3KillerBs]

Or even sit out two dishes, one with each kind of feed, and leave it for a few days.

Sometimes they will try it and decide to eat it, when they have enough time to think about it. You don't always have to withhold other feed to force them to try new things.

I never tolerated picky kids, I don't tolerate picky chickens.

No healthy animal will starve itself in the presence of food.

 

[NatJ]

I never tolerated picky kids, I don't tolerate picky chickens.

No healthy animal will starve itself in the presence of food.

In this case there is no nutritional difference between one food and the other (because the one is just a ground version of the other.)

But when switching foods in other cases, an abrupt change can cause digestive upsets in the animal. The person can mix new & old food in increasing proportions, or the person can just put out two dishes and let the animal handle the gradual transition. So just putting out the new stuff and letting them go hungry until they eat it is sometimes NOT appropriate. I agree that in this particular case it should work fine.