Broody Hen won’t feed chick starter to chicks

[mellissa]

my Hen won’t feed her chicks starter feed, grains or cracked corn She will feed them steamed veg, porridge with apple cider vinegar, cooked egg, bread, grapes, human food in other words. The chicks look more like 4 weeks than 8 weeks though they are active and appear healthy. Any advice on diet would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Lose the bread, grapes, corn, grain and any human food other than meat or fish.
Bread, grains and grapes (and probably the rest of your human food) is quite low in protein that is essential for baby chicks.
Actually, there should be no food available except chick starter.

 

[sourland]

At 8 weeks of age the hen has little control over what her chicks eat. You control that - just cut out the goodies and feed the balanced ration.

 

[BlueBaby]

I would make a wet feed out of the chick starter and some of the chick vitamin water. Leave that human food alone. It doesn't have the nutrition in it that those chick's need to grow like they should, as you have found out.

 

[mellissa]

I finally got them to eat the starter at 8 weeks, though the mother and chicks didn’t eat for 24 hours before they decided to eat starter. They are now 13 weeks bright eyed and healthy though, still small for age. They look like bantams. Im assuming if I bred from them the large breed gene would ensure large chicks.

 

[azygous]

If they have genes for standard size chickens, they will eventually catch up over the next year. You've found out how critical it is to provide the balanced feed and to severely restrict the supplementary scraps.