Am I going about this the wrong way?

[HeatherEmme]

Before I label my chickens the Pickiest Chickens Alive, I want to make sure I'm not doing something wrong here.

They're 5 weeks old and pretty much turn their beaks up at just about every treat I have given them.

So far it's been peas, corn, tomato, oatmeal, strawberry, banana, sunflower seeds, and meal worms. They aren't interested in any of that. However, they love hard boiled egg and rice and will eat a little broccoli. I still cut their treats up for them a bit..doesn't help. Is this picky-ness something they'll grow out of? or am I presenting treats wrong?

Also, do I still even need to cut the treats up or can they just peck away at it? I put both a slice of tomato and cut up pieces of it in their coop just to see what they'd prefer. They stared at it and then they stared at it some more.

 

[jgarreth]

I'm new to this too and my girls are about 12/13wks. I have tried a lot of different things too. So far their favorites are melon and weeds from the yard. I've tried strawberries...hated it. They hate bread...and pretty much everything else I've given them. I guess it's ok because they like ranging in the yard. I dunno..maybe it's an acquired taste?

 

[shmccarthy]

Mine all have different tastes. They love blueberries and grapes but hate cut up carrots and broccoli. They really love melon, I cut one in half for them and they eat everything except the rind. I also put tomatoes out and they only ate the seeds -_- I tried giving them corn and they wouldn't touch it. I guess they all have different tastes haha

 

[Den in Penn]

They are like kids who don't want to try anything different, that's all. They should grow out of it.

 

[HeatherEmme]

I guess they are LOL

I just had this idea that chickens would eat just about anything.

 

[debid]

As young chicks, mine distrusted any food that wasn't chick crumble and didn't move. They'd happily chomp an insect. If you think about it, instinct only applies to a food that looks natural. There is nothing natural looking about a plate of chopped fruit or veggies. A hen would teach them by eating the food herself and offering it to them. My chicks don't have a hen mom but they eat anything the adults do because they can see the adults eating. Their food acceptance at seven weeks is far beyond that of my first batch of chicks at the same age.

Just remember, they get what they need from their chick crumble. The rest is just for fun. If they don't like any of it until they are grown, it makes no real difference.

 

[GwenM]

I am a new chick mom....and by no mean an expert but this is what I do!! I have a small purple bowl that I use to put their treats in. My chicks LOVE grapes, bread, & tomatoes (and worms that my kids find outside for them). I tried hard boiled eggs and they wanted nothing to do with it. My chicks are 3-4wks old right now and I have been giving them little treats since we got them. Now when they see me with the purple bowl they know they are getting something good and they act like dogs. The jump over each other and start pepping really loud to get to whatever I have in the bowl. Its so funny!! I still chop everything up really small for them and I sprinkle grit on it so when I shake the bowl it makes a sound!!

Maybe you can try sprinkle some of their food/grit on the treats? Maybe they would try whatever you are offering them? (Or they could just totally be picky eaters like my 5 yr old!!)

 

[CrazyPetunias]

You may need to offer the food a few times before they get excited.

My chicks love it when I give them musk melon (cantelope) seeds with the pulp still attached. But it took them about 3 times being offered them until they finally decided that they knew what it was and liked it. The 1st time I offered it they barely touched it.

 

[jgarreth]

I hung a head of cabbage in their run and they just looked at it for a few days. Then I went out there one day and it had a giant hole in it. They almost core it out. It's a perfect circle! I think they like the fact that its hanging too.

 

[SobbaChickens]

Mine have turned up their beaks at yogurt, strawberries, bananas, and a piece of yard that i dug up (weird chickens) and they like boiled egg and LOVE shredded cheese. The cheese was hilarious

Katie