Chicks’ first mealworms

[ChickenGirl555]

I gave my 6-7 week pullet and cockerel a couple mealworms. I have never used mealworms (they are dried by the way) and I’ll give them to my Bigs (4 month pullets) tomorrow morning. But the chicks didn’t really know what to do with them. My Naked Neck cockerel just pecked them, not eating them. My Silkie mix pullet ate one but seemed more concentrated on other things, like trying to fly out of the brooder bin.

So I left a few in their brooder box and came on to BYC to type this question. Is this normal for chicks/‘teens’? Like I’ve said, never used mealworms because the Bigs were my first chickens, and I’ve only had them for 4 months, since they were chicks. (We will integrate the Littles with the Bigs in a week or two, and I’m spring/summer will get rid of Naked Neck cockerel)

 

[sylviethecochin]

Mine won't touch them. I assume that it's because they weren't raised around them.

I've even tried live ones. Nada.

 

[mestenos]

Now if they had a mama hen to show them that a mealworm is some good stuff, they'd be chomping them down like crazy. I had one little rooster grow up with my last batch of chicks and he simply had the instinct to eat everything, which got everybody into a frenzy too. Without some other chicken (they trust) to show them that mealworms are good, they probably won't bother with them until they get older.

 

[azygous]

Have you ever tried to get a cat interested in a dead mouse? It's a no-go. It's the same with dried meal worms. To chickens, they don't count as insects. Boring. Also, they aren't as easy on the digestion as live meal worms.

If you wish a reaction, and believe me, there will be one, invest in some live meal worms.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Ok, I’m going out to give my Bigs some mealworms right now, the chicks are now sort of grabbing the mealworms, but then cracking them in half, making them fly everywhere

 

[poultry person]

I have 15 hens and they DEVOUR them.

 

[Bluestem]

My birds are around the same age, and I tried them on dried mealworms about a week ago. They were absolutely uninterested. Then I bought in some live mealworms. They were clueless, but did try a few pecks as the worms moved. I kept reintroducing live mealworms to the girls, and oh my gosh, it's like a switch flipped. They go crazy for them now, gulping them down in the blink of an eye. I think it just takes a little time for them to realize that something's food, but they'll figure it out!

 

[ChickenGirl555]

My birds are around the same age, and I tried them on dried mealworms about a week ago. They were absolutely uninterested. Then I bought in some live mealworms. They were clueless, but did try a few pecks as the worms moved. I kept reintroducing live mealworms to the girls, and oh my gosh, it's like a switch flipped. They go crazy for them now, gulping them down in the blink of an eye. I think it just takes a little time for them to realize that something's food, but they'll figure it out!

Yeah, I’ll try again when they’re older.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Well my pullets love them! They ate it like crazy

 

[lolascoop]

Mine love them as chicks, but once they saw live bugs forget it. I tried love mealworms and Crickets Were Still The Favorite. It will be interesting to see if they change their minds in winter.