chicks show no interest in treats

[lewlew]

I have 7 chicks that are about 3 weeks old, and are growing like crazy and I wanted to give them a few treats (not much just a little) and so far they show zero interest. I know at this age not to give them much but I thought just a little would be ok and I could start getting them used to coming to me for the treats etc. I've tried dried meal worms, broccoli, even a big ol' red strawberry. They played with the broccoli and chased each other with it, but didn't ever seem to actually eat it. And didn't even peck at strawberry (I left it in the brooder for 2 hours and they never so much as touched it lol). And they take the meal worm but never eat it. Does anyone have any tricks to getting them to take treats? Also, before I tried giving the treats I have sprinkled some chick grit in their food so they wouldn't have a problem digesting the treats.

 

[h2oratt]

I think they have learn to eat treats. Like watch a big chicken peck at it.

 

[Erin80]

I don't have any big chickens to teach my 9 week old chickens about treats....but they are slowly figuring it out on their own. At first they had no idea what to do with watermelon, but by the third time I offered it, they went crazy for it. Same with dried mealworms....at first they were half interested, but now they gobble them up. They will figure it out

 

[brahmabantam]

I have noticed that chicks love items that move. I have watched multiple chicks chase ants, worms, and inchworms. They seem to eat them too. I know that my hens don't like broccoli, but love strawberry. Not sure if chicks are very interested in "greens".
I also agree with h2oratt.

 

[lewlew]

Thanks ya'll! I was thinking my chicks were defective HAHAHA

 

[azygous]

It's typical for brooder raised chicks to be wary of treats. It's built in. When chicks are raised by a broody hen, they look to her to point out to them what things they're supposed to eat. This is so they don't indiscriminately eat things they shouldn't.

I recently had a couple of new chicks raised by a broody, and when I tried to give them meal worms, they wouldn't take them from me. They would only take them from their broody, which they did with great excitement. It's only been weeks later, that they will consent to take them directly from me.

Give your chicks time. They'll slowly figure out you aren't trying to poison them.

 

[member 373180]

I've noticed that my new chicks never show much interest in food other than their crumbles or boiled egg until they're about three weeks old. That seems to be when they put their big girl pants on and start getting more adventurous in general. I also agree that they like some things and not others so you kinda need to figure out what they'll go for. I'd bet that if you keep bringing things like lettuce, strawberries or tomatoes, or mealworms every day, they'll start responding in the next little while.

 

[biophiliac]

When they do start responding to treats, their 'inner T-Rex' comes out and you'll wish they'd just CHILL

 

[lewlew]

When they do start responding to treats, their 'inner T-Rex' comes out and you'll wish they'd just CHILL

LOL thats funny, cause when I have the treats in my hand they come running and look at it. I get all excited cause I think they are going to take it, and then they just stare at it

 

[biophiliac]

Trust me, they will eventually jump up to snatch their favorite from your hand, fingers and all. For mine it was bread, a small amount, whole grain only cut in small cubes because bread is not great for them. But they would do anything for bread. Watermelon in summer..pumpkin in fall are also favs.