Chicks Not Eating

[ohnoicantfly]

A few of my chicks hatched this morning and they haven't really eaten anything yet. So far, I've offered them their food and some boiled egg yolk (mashed, with a bit of water added) but they've only sort of nibbled here and there. Is this normal? Are they full from consuming the yolk sac? If so, when will I expect them to start getting hungry? Thanks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

At hatch they will usually only nibble at a few crumbs or specs of food.
Day after hatch, you'll see them starting to eat more. I like to grind chick starter to make a fine crumb/crumble for the first few days.
I also provide a light sprinkle of chick grit, regardless of what they eat.

Are they drinking a few sips? That's important.

 

[Perris]

the yolk supplies all they need for 3 days (so early hatchers can wait on the nest for late hatchers). Their appetites will increase daily.

 

[The Chicken life chose me]

Yes, be sure to grind chicken crumble so it’s more like dust. Otherwise they can get crop impaction :-/

 

[nuthatched]

Yes, be sure to grind chicken crumble so it’s more like dust. Otherwise they can get crop impaction :-/

Just make a mush out of it. Extra grinding isn't necessary. :] dust is actually more likely to cause issues

 

[ohnoicantfly]

They've begun eating more. I just need them to drink water. I had some trouble with a chick that didn't absorb its yolk sac before hatching (it should be dead, but it's not and it's getting better) and I've been leaving boiled egg yolk for them to eat, and I put water in it to make it easier for them to eat. They're eating that now. I'll try the mash thing with their feed

 

[Perris]

I just need them to drink water.

keep tapping your finger in the water dish till they copy you

 

[NatJ]

Yes, be sure to grind chicken crumble so it’s more like dust. Otherwise they can get crop impaction :-/

I have raised hundreds of chicks, with various brands of crumble chick starter, and have never seen that happen. So it can't be too common.

The "crumble" always seems to include some dust and some tiny crumbles and some bigger crumbles, and the chicks pick through and eat what they like. So if they want dust-sized pieces they can have them. But even newly-hatched bantam chicks can eat most of the piece sizes in the bag, and they grow so quickly that soon it is easy for them to eat all the sizes.

(We are talking about chickens, right? Things might be different with quail or waterfowl.)

 

[ohnoicantfly]

keep tapping your finger in the water dish till they copy you

They've begun taking little sips here and there

 

[BastyPutt]

Things might be different with quail or waterfowl.

For any reading this thinking about quail, Nat is dead on. We lost 3 chicks on night one to feeding crumble straight from the bag. Making a mash or fermenting is a must.