Chick only eats crumble when wet or damp...

[jktowey]

Our 4-5 weeks old chick will only eat her crumble when it's at least damp... is this an issue? We do allow her outside for up to an hour on warm days to get her used to being outdoors, and she's eating small bugs, worms and grass as well. Can we keep giving her the damp crumble or do we need to get her eating it dry? And any suggestions on getting her to eat the dry crumble, if we need to transition her?

 

[Den in Penn]

She can stay on the wet food. Think of it as dehydrating food there is not quantitative difference just water added.

 

[Folly's place]

It's hard to keep moist food mold free and safe. I'd get her eating dry feed, and use the damp stuff as a treat. Mary

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Our 4-5 weeks old chick will only eat her crumble when it's at least damp... is this an issue? We do allow her outside for up to an hour on warm days to get her used to being outdoors, and she's eating small bugs, worms and grass as well. Can we keep giving her the damp crumble or do we need to get her eating it dry? And any suggestions on getting her to eat the dry crumble, if we need to transition her?

Is this a lone chick or are there other chicks being raised with it? Often dampening feed is a way to entice a reluctant bird to eat- such as birds who have been injured, birds who are stressed, etc. The reason I mention this is that if your chick is a lone chick she is likely stressed by that situation and a reluctance to eat/poor appetite may be the result of that stress.

If not a lone chick - are the other chicks in the group eating dry crumble?

As pointed out, wetted feed is difficult to keep - so it must be fed in controlled feedings vs. left as a "eat at will" sort of free feeding approach. There may come a time where this is no longer something you wish to have to do.

If you wish to transition your best bet is to approach it as a gradual thing. Example - prepare a bit or wetted ration and place it in a dish, then sprinkle some dry crumble just as you present it to her. If the wetted is not sopping wet, the dry bits will remain dry (or mostly so). Simply increase the amount of dry and decrease the amount of wet progressively and the bird will be eating all dry at the end. You can also present dry crumble on top of any/all treats you offer so that the association is positive between dry crumble and really desirable food.

 

[Folly's place]

Yes, and it sounded like it was a lonely bird to me. Hate to see one alone! Mary

 

[jktowey]

Yes, unfortunately she is a lone chick. We found her and another abandoned on Easter, so took them in. The other died a day after (wouldn't eat or drink despite us keeping it warm and trying to give it a bit of sugar water to entice it to eat). We do plan on getting more chicks but want to be sure we are prepared this time around, so are waiting a bit until we have a coop set up. She has no trouble forging outside for bugs and grasses, or any table scraps that might fall on the floor, it's just the dry crumble she refuses to eat.

 

[curious chickee]

If she likes wet feed, switch to fermented feed, it is feed soaked for about four days to ferment creating probiotics. No mold. Most add ACV with mother to kick start the process. You can make it from their regular feed.

 

[Carters Chick House]

Is this a lone chick or are there other chicks being raised with it? Often dampening feed is a way to entice a reluctant bird to eat- such as birds who have been injured, birds who are stressed, etc. The reason I mention this is that if your chick is a lone chick she is likely stressed by that situation and a reluctance to eat/poor appetite may be the result of that stress.

If not a lone chick - are the other chicks in the group eating dry crumble?

As pointed out, wetted feed is difficult to keep - so it must be fed in controlled feedings vs. left as a "eat at will" sort of free feeding approach. There may come a time where this is no longer something you wish to have to do.

If you wish to transition your best bet is to approach it as a gradual thing. Example - prepare a bit or wetted ration and place it in a dish, then sprinkle some dry crumble just as you present it to her. If the wetted is not sopping wet, the dry bits will remain dry (or mostly so). Simply increase the amount of dry and decrease the amount of wet progressively and the bird will be eating all dry at the end. You can also present dry crumble on top of any/all treats you offer so that the association is positive between dry crumble and really desirable food.

I have been giving my wry neck chick wet food. Now she is strong enough to join the flock they are all enjoying it.