Chick Won't Eat Crumbles...

[hokankai]

I start off all of my hatched chicks on what I call "chick baby food", which is just their crumbles make into mush with water. Anyway, the youngest babies in there are 5 days old now and one of them does NOT want to eat the crumbles. I've started weaning them off the baby food and trying to get them to eat just regular food. The one chick has been whining all day and its crop seems empty. This is the first full day with no "baby food". Will the chick eventually eat it and do I need to just wait it out? Or should I feed this one mush separately until it's ready to eat solid food only?

Here's the culprit, the smallest chick of the bunch.

 

[gimmie birdies]

try putting it not in the container but on the floor of his brooder in front of you. and peck it with your finger. I also feed my babies scrambled egg they like that, if your chick won't eat anything dip it's beak into egg yolk water. this activates his brain and stuff then he'll get hungry.

 

[hokankai]

They've spilled their food all over the floor already . He is eating, he's got a little in his crop now, but is basically whining for the mush. You think I should just let him "cry it out"? I don't want to encourage his behavior but I also want him to eat :\

 

[mychickenbrood]

I would just feed both for now, cutting down on the mush, day by day, until he is eating the other well.

 

[tinah]

They've spilled their food all over the floor already . He is eating, he's got a little in his crop now, but is basically whining for the mush. You think I should just let him "cry it out"? I don't want to encourage his behavior but I also want him to eat :\

you aren't encouraging anything but eating a sufficient amount to survive if you continue to give him mush.

 

[Familyochickens]

I say if he wants mush, by all means....give the little bugger some mush.

 

[gimmie birdies]

the important thing is to get them eating. once they get used to the idea, chickens will eat anything... AND certainly mush is better than starving!!!!

 

[hokankai]

Hahaha ok ok. I just don't want to have to make them mush forever.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I had a baby bird (gross beak?) I found once, and I would give her yogurt and apple sause. one day I decided she should take care of herself and took her about 1 acre away from our house and let her go. probably 1 hr later I went to hang clothes in the yard and there she was, as if to say I like yogurt and apple sause. I hung a bunny cage in the yard with the door open and put her inside along with yogurt and apple sause. she stayed in the cage for a while. other breeds of birds would come and eat the yogurt and apple sause too, but not harass the baby bird. eventually it flew away, but then it would come back and spy on us.

 

[Eggnog101]

when our bantams wouldn't eat, we blended the food up in our blender, they loved it. maybe you could do that?