6 week chicks will not eat new food

[LilyHillFarm]

Hello, my mixed flock of six week old chicks will not eat the new food. I am trying to transition them from Purina medicated chick starter to Scratch and Peck Starter. After 4-5 days I am out of the Purina and they have scratched around in the bedding eating all of their old food. My concern is two fold, the Scratch and peck smells strongly of vitamins and since I have never purchased this brand before I don’t know if it good. ( It is unformed powder and course ground grain…not too appetizing). But most import, my little chicks are now eating the greenery in their run that they were previously uninterested in. How long should I wait before breaking down and purchase some cheap food to appease them?

 

[QChickieMama]

I would put a little water on new food. Seems to make it more appealing to them.

 

[LilyHillFarm]

I would put a little water on new food. Seems to make it more appealing to them.

I will do that immediately. Thank you for the suggestion!

 

[rosemarythyme]

The S&P feed should smell grainy, not like vitamins.

If you want to continue using whole/broken grain feed, it really needs to be served wet or fermented so the birds eat everything including the vitamin mixture, otherwise they'll only eat their favorite grains and leave the rest behind, and not get the balanced nutrition they need.

 

[LilyHillFarm]

The S&P feed should smell grainy, not like vitamins.

If you want to continue using whole/broken grain feed, it really needs to be served wet or fermented so the birds eat everything including the vitamin mixture, otherwise they'll only eat their favorite grains and leave the rest behind, and not get the balanced nutrition they need.

Thank you for your reply. I was hoping to ferment their food (that is the reason I choose S&P) but didn’t want to change too many factors from their original chick starter too quickly. I did wet the food but they will not touch. I don’t like the smell. I’m going to call S&P tomorrow. I love your name!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you for your reply. I was hoping to ferment their food (that is the reason I choose S&P) but didn’t want to change too many factors from their original chick starter too quickly. I did wet the food but they will not touch. I don’t like the smell. I’m going to call S&P tomorrow. I love your name!

Don't be surprised if it takes them a couple of days or even weeks to try fermented feed. What I do is put out a very small bowl of fermented feed in the brooder (along with their regular dry feed) and wait for one of the chicks will get brave enough to eventually try it. The others will follow.

You could even sprinkle a little of their dry current feed on top (like sprinkles on a sundae) and see if that helps get them interested in trying it.