Best foods/treats to encourage bonding with new chicks?

[PinkLadyLVT]

What are your favorite foods/treats for very young chicks (several days old) to begin the bonding process? Currently they won’t eat from my hand yet but I know that will change with time.

This is my second chance at keeping chickens and I want these babies to be as sweet, social, and loving as my first 3 were. I loved them SO much, they were wonderful.

I have 3 Sapphire Gem girls and 1 unknown sex Bantam. They are super tiny still, especially the Bantam. So I need treat ideas that are enticing, healthy, and small enough for them to eat. TIA!

 

[NatJ]

What are your favorite foods/treats for very young chicks (several days old) to begin the bonding process? Currently they won’t eat from my hand yet but I know that will change with time.

I would try a small amount of wet chick starter (just their usual food plus a bit of water.)

The chicks will probably start by being scared (that goes for any new food), then when they try it they will have to wipe their beaks and think about the experience. But after they try it a few times, most chicks seem to really like it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I like dried mealworms since it's easy to break them into tinier pieces, but keep the amount minimal, maybe only 2 or 3 per chick a day.

 

[Climax]

Holding live bugs seems to really intrigue them, their instincts are to just go for it, then they staty to get used to your hand. Also the Bantam really looks like a Porcelain D'Uccle

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Tiny bits of fresh mozzarella cheese, little bits of fish, slivers of watermelon, sliced grapes and sliced Blueberries.

Just remember that treats should be in small amounts and at that age...tiny.

 

[RoyalChick]

Mine always go nuts for a handful of their regular chick starter crumbles.

 

[GreenJay]

Scrambled eggs (no salt/pepper). Yeah, it seems so wrong but they love it.

 

[mcdze]

chicks should only be fed chick starter for the first several weeks .. and chickens like almost anything .. mainly they respond to punctual repetition, and be sure to never scare them,, they remember that ..

 

[TaylorGlade]

ours love soldier fly larva - or watermelon.

 

[Gorgi]

What are your favorite foods/treats for very young chicks (several days old) to begin the bonding process? Currently they won’t eat from my hand yet but I know that will change with time.

This is my second chance at keeping chickens and I want these babies to be as sweet, social, and loving as my first 3 were. I loved them SO much, they were wonderful.

I have 3 Sapphire Gem girls and 1 unknown sex Bantam. They are super tiny still, especially the Bantam. So I need treat ideas that are enticing, healthy, and small enough for them to eat. TIA!

Scrambled eggs and wet chick feed work well. You’ll have to hold your hand in one place for a while everyday to get them used to eating out of your hand. Once one of them eats it the others will as well.