This has me baffled. I'm raising my second batch of chicks this summer. The first batch of six chicks are now ten weeks old, and I gave them their first earth worms at age three days. They knew exactly what to do with them, no hesitation at all. One of the Ameraucanas grabbed up a worm and the game of keep-away was on. They devoured those first worms as if it were in their DNA knowing worms are the number one chicken delicacy of all chicken world, and their enthusiasm hasn't waned.
Now I have three four-week old chicks, same breeds as the other batch, and they still have almost no clue what to do with worms when I give them to them, even though I've been offering them worms for several weeks.
They stand around looking at the worms, maybe giving them an unenthusiastic peck, and pay more attention to the clumps of dirt clinging to the hapless worms. Once, when a worm got wrapped around one baby's leg, she ran screaming around the brooder as if it were a poisonous snake. These little guys love lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, and boiled egg. They get grit to help them digest these treats. They just seem to be completely indifferent to worms.
Has anyone else run into this phenomenon?
Now I have three four-week old chicks, same breeds as the other batch, and they still have almost no clue what to do with worms when I give them to them, even though I've been offering them worms for several weeks.
They stand around looking at the worms, maybe giving them an unenthusiastic peck, and pay more attention to the clumps of dirt clinging to the hapless worms. Once, when a worm got wrapped around one baby's leg, she ran screaming around the brooder as if it were a poisonous snake. These little guys love lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, and boiled egg. They get grit to help them digest these treats. They just seem to be completely indifferent to worms.
Has anyone else run into this phenomenon?
